❓ Mrs Roberts questions Operation Sweep, suggesting it's for PR and highlights frontline understaffing by pulling detectives from investigations. The Minister denies PR motives, acknowledges detective shortages, and outlines plans to increase detective numbers, citing a 5% crime reduction after Operation Sweep.
AnsweredQoN 826Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
POLICE — OPERATION SWEEP — DETECTIVES
826. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS to the
Minister for Police:
I refer to the directive regarding Operation Sweep to all
metropolitan policing districts last week.
(1) Were all
staff asked to log into the computer aided dispatch system using the heading ''Special
Assignment Deep Saturation'' just so the government can build statistics
for a government press release?
(2) Does
dragging detectives and others away from their investigative work to fill gaps
in the frontline, not demonstrate just how understaffed the frontline is?
(3) Can the
minister explain the downside of taking understaffed detective teams away from
their current investigations?
826. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS to the
Minister for Police:
I refer to the directive regarding Operation Sweep to all
metropolitan policing districts last week.
(1) Were all
staff asked to log into the computer aided dispatch system using the heading ''Special
Assignment Deep Saturation'' just so the government can build statistics
for a government press release?
(2) Does
dragging detectives and others away from their investigative work to fill gaps
in the frontline, not demonstrate just how understaffed the frontline is?
(3) Can the
minister explain the downside of taking understaffed detective teams away from
their current investigations?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Midland for
the question.
(1) In answer to
the question around Operation Sweep collecting statistics for a government
media announcement: no, it is not. Everybody who has been in this house over
the past month understands that there was an unprecedented surge in overall
reported crime that was also experienced in other policing jurisdictions. In
response to that, police put together Operation Sweep, which is what they do in
response to emerging trends in crime. They respond to it in a format that they
think is going to be effective.
(2)–(3)
With respect to the detectives, we have recently formed a large number of joint
organised crime task forces and other task forces to deal with specific areas
of crime. That has resulted in the transfer of some of the detectives from the
district offices into the specialised detective policing areas. The
Commissioner of Police has reassured me that we are currently 34.7 full-time
equivalent short of our detective FTE complement of 904.5, which is around a
3.8 per cent shortfall. We have 50 vacancies advertised on a site. The
commissioner has assured me that by the end of 2016 there will be courses in
place to train 268 additional detectives in keeping with the 2013 election
campaign commitment to train more detectives. We have detectives in the pipeline:
170 are doing the Workbook program, which then leads to an interview program
and an introductory course for detective schools. A large number of detective
schools have a really good solid cohort of wonderful police officers who are
being upskilled in that area.
In response to the member for
Midland's question, the results for Operation Sweep are very clear. We
have seen a five per cent reduction on the September figures. We will continue
to keep the pressure on and drive it down. I continue to liaise with the
commissioner and the deputy commissioner to ensure that they respond
appropriately.
the question.
(1) In answer to
the question around Operation Sweep collecting statistics for a government
media announcement: no, it is not. Everybody who has been in this house over
the past month understands that there was an unprecedented surge in overall
reported crime that was also experienced in other policing jurisdictions. In
response to that, police put together Operation Sweep, which is what they do in
response to emerging trends in crime. They respond to it in a format that they
think is going to be effective.
(2)–(3)
With respect to the detectives, we have recently formed a large number of joint
organised crime task forces and other task forces to deal with specific areas
of crime. That has resulted in the transfer of some of the detectives from the
district offices into the specialised detective policing areas. The
Commissioner of Police has reassured me that we are currently 34.7 full-time
equivalent short of our detective FTE complement of 904.5, which is around a
3.8 per cent shortfall. We have 50 vacancies advertised on a site. The
commissioner has assured me that by the end of 2016 there will be courses in
place to train 268 additional detectives in keeping with the 2013 election
campaign commitment to train more detectives. We have detectives in the pipeline:
170 are doing the Workbook program, which then leads to an interview program
and an introductory course for detective schools. A large number of detective
schools have a really good solid cohort of wonderful police officers who are
being upskilled in that area.
In response to the member for
Midland's question, the results for Operation Sweep are very clear. We
have seen a five per cent reduction on the September figures. We will continue
to keep the pressure on and drive it down. I continue to liaise with the
commissioner and the deputy commissioner to ensure that they respond
appropriately.
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