❓ Dr. Buti questions the future of the 24-hour Armadale Police Station, highlighting the McGowan government's commitment and contrasting it with the Opposition's stance on police station hours. The Minister's answer suggests a risk to 24-hour stations under a potential change in government.
AnsweredQoN 1104Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ARMADALE POLICE STATION
1104. Dr A.D. BUTI to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the 24-hour police
station in Armadale that the McGowan Labor government promised and delivered
for my community, after years of public rallies, petitions and pleas to the
former Liberal–National government.
(1) Is there any risk to Armadale
continuing as a 24-hour police station?
(2) Are there any risks to any other
24-hour or extended-hour police stations?
1104. Dr A.D. BUTI to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the 24-hour police
station in Armadale that the McGowan Labor government promised and delivered
for my community, after years of public rallies, petitions and pleas to the
former Liberal–National government.
(1) Is there any risk to Armadale
continuing as a 24-hour police station?
(2) Are there any risks to any other
24-hour or extended-hour police stations?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Armadale for
this important question.
(1) When we were
elected in 2017, we moved straightaway to implement our election commitments to
have 24-hour police stations at Ellenbrook, Cockburn and Armadale because for
the previous 20 years or more there had been only a handful of 24-hour police
stations in the metropolitan area. They were at Perth, Midland, Joondalup,
Mirrabooka, Fremantle, Mandurah and Cannington.
The problem is that over that period
of 20 or 30 years, the metropolitan area expanded massively and people in the
outer suburbs were not getting the same level of service. For the people of
Armadale—not just in Armadale, but
all those suburbs that have grown further away from Armadale, out to Byford,
Oakford , Mundijong and places like that—their nearest 24-hour
police station was Cannington, the biggest and most overworked police station
in the state. Prior to the election of the McGowan government, all of the other
police stations were closing at four o'clock in the afternoon.
We also delivered on our commitment
to extend the hours to 7.00 pm at Belmont, Canning Vale and Forrestfield police
stations. That was a decision of government on behalf of the community of Western
Australia. We said to people that they should have reasonable access to a police
station in the same way that people in other areas have. The member for
Armadale highlighted so many examples of people in genuine need who had been
showing up at Armadale station after four o'clock in the afternoon and
having to make their way to Cannington. I still remember that very poignant
story of the father who took his daughter there after she had been sexually
assaulted, who then had to trek down to Cannington.
(2) Unfortunately,
I have heard that there is a risk to continuing to have a 24-hour police
station in Armadale, and there is a risk to every other 24-hour and
extended-hour police station in the state. It seems that the Leader of the
Opposition, who did not support Armadale, Cockburn and Ellenbrook having
24-hour police stations, was asked directly at the Western Australian Police
Union of Workers conference on Monday, ''Do you support having 24/7
police stations?'' There were about 100 or something witnesses at that
conference, and her answer was as follows: ''I actually believe in
closing the front counter at police stations''.
To quote the Leader of the Opposition: ''You need a few. You need to
have a scattering of them .'' Unfortunately, the Leader of the
Opposition's scatter does not include Armadale, it does not include
Ellenbrook, it does not include Cockburn and it does not include extended hours
at Forrestfield, Belmont or Canning Vale. She went on to say, according to my
notes —
''What we'd do is an
assessment, because what we found when we were in Government is predominantly
after 4pm it was taxi drivers turning up with drunk passengers or taxi drivers
turning up with lost property.
''My view is more police out
on the road, we don't need them baby-sitting police stations.
There we have it: no commitment to a continuance
of a 24-hour police station at Armadale, Cockburn or Ellenbrook.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Dr A.D. Buti interjected.
The SPEAKER : You can wave at
me, but I am still calling you to order for the first time, member for
Armadale.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : On that
helpful interjection, apparently the member for Hillarys also contributed to
the conference on Monday. He said, according to my notes —
The biggest concern I have around
this is it's not the job of the Police Minister to direct or instruct
that happen and that's the biggest failure of this Government's
decision around 24/7 police stations is they have not listened to police.
I will tell members who we have
listened to; we have listened to the community. On behalf of the community, we
have supported the community. We have said that they need to have a proper
level of service and access for people in the outer suburbs.
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Carine.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : In addition
to that —
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Carine, I call you to order for the first time.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : —
we have given the police extra numbers to deliver those extended hours and
24-hour police stations. I might just add
that those 24-hour police stations, also in country areas, include Albany,
Kalgoorlie , Broome, Geraldton, Karratha, Bunbury and Northam. Are you
going to have a review of those too, Leader of the Opposition? Are they part of
your scattering?
The SPEAKER : Member for
Warren–Blackwood. You are looking over your shoulder; I was wondering
what was going on.
this important question.
(1) When we were
elected in 2017, we moved straightaway to implement our election commitments to
have 24-hour police stations at Ellenbrook, Cockburn and Armadale because for
the previous 20 years or more there had been only a handful of 24-hour police
stations in the metropolitan area. They were at Perth, Midland, Joondalup,
Mirrabooka, Fremantle, Mandurah and Cannington.
The problem is that over that period
of 20 or 30 years, the metropolitan area expanded massively and people in the
outer suburbs were not getting the same level of service. For the people of
Armadale—not just in Armadale, but
all those suburbs that have grown further away from Armadale, out to Byford,
Oakford , Mundijong and places like that—their nearest 24-hour
police station was Cannington, the biggest and most overworked police station
in the state. Prior to the election of the McGowan government, all of the other
police stations were closing at four o'clock in the afternoon.
We also delivered on our commitment
to extend the hours to 7.00 pm at Belmont, Canning Vale and Forrestfield police
stations. That was a decision of government on behalf of the community of Western
Australia. We said to people that they should have reasonable access to a police
station in the same way that people in other areas have. The member for
Armadale highlighted so many examples of people in genuine need who had been
showing up at Armadale station after four o'clock in the afternoon and
having to make their way to Cannington. I still remember that very poignant
story of the father who took his daughter there after she had been sexually
assaulted, who then had to trek down to Cannington.
(2) Unfortunately,
I have heard that there is a risk to continuing to have a 24-hour police
station in Armadale, and there is a risk to every other 24-hour and
extended-hour police station in the state. It seems that the Leader of the
Opposition, who did not support Armadale, Cockburn and Ellenbrook having
24-hour police stations, was asked directly at the Western Australian Police
Union of Workers conference on Monday, ''Do you support having 24/7
police stations?'' There were about 100 or something witnesses at that
conference, and her answer was as follows: ''I actually believe in
closing the front counter at police stations''.
To quote the Leader of the Opposition: ''You need a few. You need to
have a scattering of them .'' Unfortunately, the Leader of the
Opposition's scatter does not include Armadale, it does not include
Ellenbrook, it does not include Cockburn and it does not include extended hours
at Forrestfield, Belmont or Canning Vale. She went on to say, according to my
notes —
''What we'd do is an
assessment, because what we found when we were in Government is predominantly
after 4pm it was taxi drivers turning up with drunk passengers or taxi drivers
turning up with lost property.
''My view is more police out
on the road, we don't need them baby-sitting police stations.
There we have it: no commitment to a continuance
of a 24-hour police station at Armadale, Cockburn or Ellenbrook.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Dr A.D. Buti interjected.
The SPEAKER : You can wave at
me, but I am still calling you to order for the first time, member for
Armadale.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : On that
helpful interjection, apparently the member for Hillarys also contributed to
the conference on Monday. He said, according to my notes —
The biggest concern I have around
this is it's not the job of the Police Minister to direct or instruct
that happen and that's the biggest failure of this Government's
decision around 24/7 police stations is they have not listened to police.
I will tell members who we have
listened to; we have listened to the community. On behalf of the community, we
have supported the community. We have said that they need to have a proper
level of service and access for people in the outer suburbs.
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Carine.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : In addition
to that —
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Carine, I call you to order for the first time.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : —
we have given the police extra numbers to deliver those extended hours and
24-hour police stations. I might just add
that those 24-hour police stations, also in country areas, include Albany,
Kalgoorlie , Broome, Geraldton, Karratha, Bunbury and Northam. Are you
going to have a review of those too, Leader of the Opposition? Are they part of
your scattering?
The SPEAKER : Member for
Warren–Blackwood. You are looking over your shoulder; I was wondering
what was going on.
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