❓ The Minister for Police provides updated crime statistics for WA, highlighting improvements and accusing the opposition of misleading the public by cherry-picking data. The Minister contrasts current figures with those from when the member for Scarborough was the Minister for Police.
AnsweredQoN 687Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
POLICE — CRIME STATISTICS
687. Ms C.M. ROWE to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the McGowan Labor government's commitment
to community safety and driving down crime in Belmont and right across Western Australia.
Can the minister update the house on the current crime statistics of Western Australia;
and is the minister aware of anyone who is misleading the community on these
crime statistics, or anyone who simply cannot interpret them?
687. Ms C.M. ROWE to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the McGowan Labor government's commitment
to community safety and driving down crime in Belmont and right across Western Australia.
Can the minister update the house on the current crime statistics of Western Australia;
and is the minister aware of anyone who is misleading the community on these
crime statistics, or anyone who simply cannot interpret them?
AnswerView source ↗
As a matter of fact, I can provide
the member for Belmont with an answer. I can advise that the advice from Western
Australia Police Force with regard to this year's midyear crime
statistics is that they were the best statistics for the last 10 years. Is that
not an interesting contrast with what we read back in 2015, when the member for
Scarborough was Minister for Police? Remember when we had headlines like, ''WA's
crime rate surges with 600 offences
committed every day in 2015''? That article said that total offences
against people increased 14 per cent, from 37 000 up to 42 000. It also
reported that property offences had increased by 12 per cent, from 160 000 to
179 000, taking total offences up to 221 993. That is a massive all-time high:
221 993. What were the statistics for the completed year 2017–18? It
was 197 791—20 000 fewer offences. This is a significant decline and
improvement.
Back then, the member for Scarborough
had no answers. She said, and I quote —
''If I had the answer I'd
have every single nation in the world knocking on my door to find it—no
one has the answer 100 per cent.''
She presided over double-digit
increases in crime, month on month. What we see now is the member for Hillarys
cherrypicking crime statistics.
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Scarborough, I call you to order for the first time.
Mrs
M.H. ROBERTS : Members of this
house will remember the dastardly little card they put out in Darling Range.
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Scarborough, I call you to order for the second time.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : They
compared one month in one year with one month in another year. They chose
March, because they thought that gave them the best figures. Had they chosen
October, it would have been a totally different result. I do not know whether
members opposite realised they were comparing 30 days with 30 days, or whether
they thought they were comparing nine months with nine months —
Mr P.A. Katsambanis interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Hillarys!
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The fact of
the matter is that we have vastly improved the Western Australia Police Force
website with respect to statistics. We have put more information out there than
ever before, and more detail than ever before. Anyone can look at that detail —
Mr P.A. Katsambanis interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Hillarys, I call you to order for the first time.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The member
for Scarborough asked me yesterday why I would refer people to the website. It
would not have been worth referring them to it when she was the minister, but
we have put all the detail out there. Unfortunately, we are finding that
Liberal Party pamphlets endorsed by Sam Calabrese and statements endorsed and
made by the member for Hillarys continue to mislead. They are cherrypicking
little bits. Yesterday, the member for Hillarys chose six months from one year
and compared it with six months from another year, when the overall year-on-year
crime statistics are going down. The fact of the matter is that the 2017–18
financial year figures are the best in a decade. They are lower than any
financial year, stretching back over the last 10 years. Offence rates are down
in most categories. Offences against property are down 6.1 per cent, the lowest
since 2009– 10; burglaries are down eight per cent, the lowest since
2009–10; motor vehicle theft is down —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Hillarys! Member for Darling Range, I call you to order for the first time.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : Members
opposite do not like to hear it, but motor vehicle theft is down by 12 per
cent, the lowest since 2009–10; and robbery is down by seven per cent,
the lowest in a decade.
That is no coincidence, because we
have been out there putting more officers on the front line. Those opposite
promised zero at the election. We have committed 120 to the meth task force —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Hillarys, this is not a chat-fest. The minister is answering a question. I want
to hear it, and I am sure you do, too.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : We have
dedicated 120 to meth, 25 to our regional enforcement unit on the roads, and
additional officers for the 24-hour and extended-hours police stations. That is
why I am pleased that the member for Belmont asked me this question. Prior to
us coming to government, the Belmont Police Station closed at four in the
afternoon—a major police station, covering a big area. That is now open
until seven o'clock every night—something I know the Belmont
community really appreciates. Similarly, in Forrestfield and Canning Vale,
people really appreciate those extra opening hours.
These are the kinds of moves we have made. It is no
coincidence that crime is going down. Combined with the new policing model that
has put more response cars on the road, Western Australia Police Force is
getting results and it is about time the member for Hillarys stopped rubbishing
them.
the member for Belmont with an answer. I can advise that the advice from Western
Australia Police Force with regard to this year's midyear crime
statistics is that they were the best statistics for the last 10 years. Is that
not an interesting contrast with what we read back in 2015, when the member for
Scarborough was Minister for Police? Remember when we had headlines like, ''WA's
crime rate surges with 600 offences
committed every day in 2015''? That article said that total offences
against people increased 14 per cent, from 37 000 up to 42 000. It also
reported that property offences had increased by 12 per cent, from 160 000 to
179 000, taking total offences up to 221 993. That is a massive all-time high:
221 993. What were the statistics for the completed year 2017–18? It
was 197 791—20 000 fewer offences. This is a significant decline and
improvement.
Back then, the member for Scarborough
had no answers. She said, and I quote —
''If I had the answer I'd
have every single nation in the world knocking on my door to find it—no
one has the answer 100 per cent.''
She presided over double-digit
increases in crime, month on month. What we see now is the member for Hillarys
cherrypicking crime statistics.
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Scarborough, I call you to order for the first time.
Mrs
M.H. ROBERTS : Members of this
house will remember the dastardly little card they put out in Darling Range.
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Scarborough, I call you to order for the second time.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : They
compared one month in one year with one month in another year. They chose
March, because they thought that gave them the best figures. Had they chosen
October, it would have been a totally different result. I do not know whether
members opposite realised they were comparing 30 days with 30 days, or whether
they thought they were comparing nine months with nine months —
Mr P.A. Katsambanis interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Hillarys!
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The fact of
the matter is that we have vastly improved the Western Australia Police Force
website with respect to statistics. We have put more information out there than
ever before, and more detail than ever before. Anyone can look at that detail —
Mr P.A. Katsambanis interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Hillarys, I call you to order for the first time.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The member
for Scarborough asked me yesterday why I would refer people to the website. It
would not have been worth referring them to it when she was the minister, but
we have put all the detail out there. Unfortunately, we are finding that
Liberal Party pamphlets endorsed by Sam Calabrese and statements endorsed and
made by the member for Hillarys continue to mislead. They are cherrypicking
little bits. Yesterday, the member for Hillarys chose six months from one year
and compared it with six months from another year, when the overall year-on-year
crime statistics are going down. The fact of the matter is that the 2017–18
financial year figures are the best in a decade. They are lower than any
financial year, stretching back over the last 10 years. Offence rates are down
in most categories. Offences against property are down 6.1 per cent, the lowest
since 2009– 10; burglaries are down eight per cent, the lowest since
2009–10; motor vehicle theft is down —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Hillarys! Member for Darling Range, I call you to order for the first time.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : Members
opposite do not like to hear it, but motor vehicle theft is down by 12 per
cent, the lowest since 2009–10; and robbery is down by seven per cent,
the lowest in a decade.
That is no coincidence, because we
have been out there putting more officers on the front line. Those opposite
promised zero at the election. We have committed 120 to the meth task force —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Hillarys, this is not a chat-fest. The minister is answering a question. I want
to hear it, and I am sure you do, too.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : We have
dedicated 120 to meth, 25 to our regional enforcement unit on the roads, and
additional officers for the 24-hour and extended-hours police stations. That is
why I am pleased that the member for Belmont asked me this question. Prior to
us coming to government, the Belmont Police Station closed at four in the
afternoon—a major police station, covering a big area. That is now open
until seven o'clock every night—something I know the Belmont
community really appreciates. Similarly, in Forrestfield and Canning Vale,
people really appreciate those extra opening hours.
These are the kinds of moves we have made. It is no
coincidence that crime is going down. Combined with the new policing model that
has put more response cars on the road, Western Australia Police Force is
getting results and it is about time the member for Hillarys stopped rubbishing
them.
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