❓ A member of parliament questions the minister about police response times, citing figures suggesting slow response times to critical calls. The minister defends the government's record, highlighting increased police numbers and improved call handling compared to the previous administration.
AnsweredQoN 223Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
POLICE RESPONSE TIMES
I refer to the latest figures on police response times to calls for help and to the minister’s comments yesterday that response times are now much faster. (1) Why, under the minister’s management, are 32 per cent of Western Australia families and businesses that make calls to police where life or property is under threat not getting a response within the accepted time limit? (2) Will the minister explain how the fact that the 1 822 priority 2 calls for help that were not responded to within accepted police time frames for 2006-07 were not a direct result of the Carpenter government’s failure to ensure that we have enough police officers on our streets? Mr J.C. KOBELKE
I refer to the latest figures on police response times to calls for help and to the minister’s comments yesterday that response times are now much faster. (1) Why, under the minister’s management, are 32 per cent of Western Australia families and businesses that make calls to police where life or property is under threat not getting a response within the accepted time limit? (2) Will the minister explain how the fact that the 1 822 priority 2 calls for help that were not responded to within accepted police time frames for 2006-07 were not a direct result of the Carpenter government’s failure to ensure that we have enough police officers on our streets? Mr J.C. KOBELKE
AnswerView source ↗
I sincerely thank the member for Hillarys for his question. (1)-(2) Of course, no-one would rely on the figures that he used on the basis that they had not been taken out of context. We do know that since we have put in place the call centre there has been a huge increase in the number of calls answered. It was quite common practice under the Liberal coalition government that when people rang the police they simply did not get through to a police station; they rang out. That is what happened under the last government. What we have found through the call centre is a huge increase in calls being received, going to tens of thousands of calls. The police are responding to them. Clearly, that has put pressure on the police on the front line. Under the last government, they did not go out because they did not know about it in many cases. Now they are getting the calls through and they are responding. Again, in the past four years of the Liberal coalition government, it did not employ one additional police officer. We have employed 250 police officers in our first term and 350 this term, which means 600 additional police officers. In addition, we have employed 160 public servants who are doing some of the clerical work so that more police officers can be on the front line. We are now seeing a decline in a whole range of offences and an improvement in the clean-up rate. We now have a police force that is steps ahead of where it was when the Liberal coalition government was in power. The demand is huge, which puts the officers under great pressure, but we are resourcing them in a way in which they were never resourced before. We will continue to back the police so that they can respond to the needs of the community. That is certainly being reflected in the way they are now operating.
(1) Why, under the minister’s management, are 32 per cent of Western Australia families and businesses that make calls to police where life or property is under threat not getting a response within the accepted time limit? (2) Will the minister explain how the fact that the 1 822 priority 2 calls for help that were not responded to within accepted police time frames for 2006-07 were not a direct result of the Carpenter government’s failure to ensure that we have enough police officers on our streets? Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: I sincerely thank the member for Hillarys for his question. (1)-(2) Of course, no-one would rely on the figures that he used on the basis that they had not been taken out of context. We do know that since we have put in place the call centre there has been a huge increase in the number of calls answered. It was quite common practice under the Liberal coalition government that when people rang the police they simply did not get through to a police station; they rang out. That is what happened under the last government. What we have found through the call centre is a huge increase in calls being received, going to tens of thousands of calls. The police are responding to them. Clearly, that has put pressure on the police on the front line. Under the last government, they did not go out because they did not know about it in many cases. Now they are getting the calls through and they are responding. Again, in the past four years of the Liberal coalition government, it did not employ one additional police officer. We have employed 250 police officers in our first term and 350 this term, which means 600 additional police officers. In addition, we have employed 160 public servants who are doing some of the clerical work so that more police officers can be on the front line. We are now seeing a decline in a whole range of offences and an improvement in the clean-up rate. We now have a police force that is steps ahead of where it was when the Liberal coalition government was in power. The demand is huge, which puts the officers under great pressure, but we are resourcing them in a way in which they were never resourced before. We will continue to back the police so that they can respond to the needs of the community. That is certainly being reflected in the way they are now operating.
(2) Will the minister explain how the fact that the 1 822 priority 2 calls for help that were not responded to within accepted police time frames for 2006-07 were not a direct result of the Carpenter government’s failure to ensure that we have enough police officers on our streets? Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: I sincerely thank the member for Hillarys for his question. (1)-(2) Of course, no-one would rely on the figures that he used on the basis that they had not been taken out of context. We do know that since we have put in place the call centre there has been a huge increase in the number of calls answered. It was quite common practice under the Liberal coalition government that when people rang the police they simply did not get through to a police station; they rang out. That is what happened under the last government. What we have found through the call centre is a huge increase in calls being received, going to tens of thousands of calls. The police are responding to them. Clearly, that has put pressure on the police on the front line. Under the last government, they did not go out because they did not know about it in many cases. Now they are getting the calls through and they are responding. Again, in the past four years of the Liberal coalition government, it did not employ one additional police officer. We have employed 250 police officers in our first term and 350 this term, which means 600 additional police officers. In addition, we have employed 160 public servants who are doing some of the clerical work so that more police officers can be on the front line. We are now seeing a decline in a whole range of offences and an improvement in the clean-up rate. We now have a police force that is steps ahead of where it was when the Liberal coalition government was in power. The demand is huge, which puts the officers under great pressure, but we are resourcing them in a way in which they were never resourced before. We will continue to back the police so that they can respond to the needs of the community. That is certainly being reflected in the way they are now operating.
Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: I sincerely thank the member for Hillarys for his question. (1)-(2) Of course, no-one would rely on the figures that he used on the basis that they had not been taken out of context. We do know that since we have put in place the call centre there has been a huge increase in the number of calls answered. It was quite common practice under the Liberal coalition government that when people rang the police they simply did not get through to a police station; they rang out. That is what happened under the last government. What we have found through the call centre is a huge increase in calls being received, going to tens of thousands of calls. The police are responding to them. Clearly, that has put pressure on the police on the front line. Under the last government, they did not go out because they did not know about it in many cases. Now they are getting the calls through and they are responding. Again, in the past four years of the Liberal coalition government, it did not employ one additional police officer. We have employed 250 police officers in our first term and 350 this term, which means 600 additional police officers. In addition, we have employed 160 public servants who are doing some of the clerical work so that more police officers can be on the front line. We are now seeing a decline in a whole range of offences and an improvement in the clean-up rate. We now have a police force that is steps ahead of where it was when the Liberal coalition government was in power. The demand is huge, which puts the officers under great pressure, but we are resourcing them in a way in which they were never resourced before. We will continue to back the police so that they can respond to the needs of the community. That is certainly being reflected in the way they are now operating.
I sincerely thank the member for Hillarys for his question. (1)-(2) Of course, no-one would rely on the figures that he used on the basis that they had not been taken out of context. We do know that since we have put in place the call centre there has been a huge increase in the number of calls answered. It was quite common practice under the Liberal coalition government that when people rang the police they simply did not get through to a police station; they rang out. That is what happened under the last government. What we have found through the call centre is a huge increase in calls being received, going to tens of thousands of calls. The police are responding to them. Clearly, that has put pressure on the police on the front line. Under the last government, they did not go out because they did not know about it in many cases. Now they are getting the calls through and they are responding. Again, in the past four years of the Liberal coalition government, it did not employ one additional police officer. We have employed 250 police officers in our first term and 350 this term, which means 600 additional police officers. In addition, we have employed 160 public servants who are doing some of the clerical work so that more police officers can be on the front line. We are now seeing a decline in a whole range of offences and an improvement in the clean-up rate. We now have a police force that is steps ahead of where it was when the Liberal coalition government was in power. The demand is huge, which puts the officers under great pressure, but we are resourcing them in a way in which they were never resourced before. We will continue to back the police so that they can respond to the needs of the community. That is certainly being reflected in the way they are now operating.
(1)-(2) Of course, no-one would rely on the figures that he used on the basis that they had not been taken out of context. We do know that since we have put in place the call centre there has been a huge increase in the number of calls answered. It was quite common practice under the Liberal coalition government that when people rang the police they simply did not get through to a police station; they rang out. That is what happened under the last government. What we have found through the call centre is a huge increase in calls being received, going to tens of thousands of calls. The police are responding to them. Clearly, that has put pressure on the police on the front line. Under the last government, they did not go out because they did not know about it in many cases. Now they are getting the calls through and they are responding. Again, in the past four years of the Liberal coalition government, it did not employ one additional police officer. We have employed 250 police officers in our first term and 350 this term, which means 600 additional police officers. In addition, we have employed 160 public servants who are doing some of the clerical work so that more police officers can be on the front line. We are now seeing a decline in a whole range of offences and an improvement in the clean-up rate. We now have a police force that is steps ahead of where it was when the Liberal coalition government was in power. The demand is huge, which puts the officers under great pressure, but we are resourcing them in a way in which they were never resourced before. We will continue to back the police so that they can respond to the needs of the community. That is certainly being reflected in the way they are now operating.
(1) Why, under the minister’s management, are 32 per cent of Western Australia families and businesses that make calls to police where life or property is under threat not getting a response within the accepted time limit? (2) Will the minister explain how the fact that the 1 822 priority 2 calls for help that were not responded to within accepted police time frames for 2006-07 were not a direct result of the Carpenter government’s failure to ensure that we have enough police officers on our streets? Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: I sincerely thank the member for Hillarys for his question. (1)-(2) Of course, no-one would rely on the figures that he used on the basis that they had not been taken out of context. We do know that since we have put in place the call centre there has been a huge increase in the number of calls answered. It was quite common practice under the Liberal coalition government that when people rang the police they simply did not get through to a police station; they rang out. That is what happened under the last government. What we have found through the call centre is a huge increase in calls being received, going to tens of thousands of calls. The police are responding to them. Clearly, that has put pressure on the police on the front line. Under the last government, they did not go out because they did not know about it in many cases. Now they are getting the calls through and they are responding. Again, in the past four years of the Liberal coalition government, it did not employ one additional police officer. We have employed 250 police officers in our first term and 350 this term, which means 600 additional police officers. In addition, we have employed 160 public servants who are doing some of the clerical work so that more police officers can be on the front line. We are now seeing a decline in a whole range of offences and an improvement in the clean-up rate. We now have a police force that is steps ahead of where it was when the Liberal coalition government was in power. The demand is huge, which puts the officers under great pressure, but we are resourcing them in a way in which they were never resourced before. We will continue to back the police so that they can respond to the needs of the community. That is certainly being reflected in the way they are now operating.
(2) Will the minister explain how the fact that the 1 822 priority 2 calls for help that were not responded to within accepted police time frames for 2006-07 were not a direct result of the Carpenter government’s failure to ensure that we have enough police officers on our streets? Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: I sincerely thank the member for Hillarys for his question. (1)-(2) Of course, no-one would rely on the figures that he used on the basis that they had not been taken out of context. We do know that since we have put in place the call centre there has been a huge increase in the number of calls answered. It was quite common practice under the Liberal coalition government that when people rang the police they simply did not get through to a police station; they rang out. That is what happened under the last government. What we have found through the call centre is a huge increase in calls being received, going to tens of thousands of calls. The police are responding to them. Clearly, that has put pressure on the police on the front line. Under the last government, they did not go out because they did not know about it in many cases. Now they are getting the calls through and they are responding. Again, in the past four years of the Liberal coalition government, it did not employ one additional police officer. We have employed 250 police officers in our first term and 350 this term, which means 600 additional police officers. In addition, we have employed 160 public servants who are doing some of the clerical work so that more police officers can be on the front line. We are now seeing a decline in a whole range of offences and an improvement in the clean-up rate. We now have a police force that is steps ahead of where it was when the Liberal coalition government was in power. The demand is huge, which puts the officers under great pressure, but we are resourcing them in a way in which they were never resourced before. We will continue to back the police so that they can respond to the needs of the community. That is certainly being reflected in the way they are now operating.
Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: I sincerely thank the member for Hillarys for his question. (1)-(2) Of course, no-one would rely on the figures that he used on the basis that they had not been taken out of context. We do know that since we have put in place the call centre there has been a huge increase in the number of calls answered. It was quite common practice under the Liberal coalition government that when people rang the police they simply did not get through to a police station; they rang out. That is what happened under the last government. What we have found through the call centre is a huge increase in calls being received, going to tens of thousands of calls. The police are responding to them. Clearly, that has put pressure on the police on the front line. Under the last government, they did not go out because they did not know about it in many cases. Now they are getting the calls through and they are responding. Again, in the past four years of the Liberal coalition government, it did not employ one additional police officer. We have employed 250 police officers in our first term and 350 this term, which means 600 additional police officers. In addition, we have employed 160 public servants who are doing some of the clerical work so that more police officers can be on the front line. We are now seeing a decline in a whole range of offences and an improvement in the clean-up rate. We now have a police force that is steps ahead of where it was when the Liberal coalition government was in power. The demand is huge, which puts the officers under great pressure, but we are resourcing them in a way in which they were never resourced before. We will continue to back the police so that they can respond to the needs of the community. That is certainly being reflected in the way they are now operating.
I sincerely thank the member for Hillarys for his question. (1)-(2) Of course, no-one would rely on the figures that he used on the basis that they had not been taken out of context. We do know that since we have put in place the call centre there has been a huge increase in the number of calls answered. It was quite common practice under the Liberal coalition government that when people rang the police they simply did not get through to a police station; they rang out. That is what happened under the last government. What we have found through the call centre is a huge increase in calls being received, going to tens of thousands of calls. The police are responding to them. Clearly, that has put pressure on the police on the front line. Under the last government, they did not go out because they did not know about it in many cases. Now they are getting the calls through and they are responding. Again, in the past four years of the Liberal coalition government, it did not employ one additional police officer. We have employed 250 police officers in our first term and 350 this term, which means 600 additional police officers. In addition, we have employed 160 public servants who are doing some of the clerical work so that more police officers can be on the front line. We are now seeing a decline in a whole range of offences and an improvement in the clean-up rate. We now have a police force that is steps ahead of where it was when the Liberal coalition government was in power. The demand is huge, which puts the officers under great pressure, but we are resourcing them in a way in which they were never resourced before. We will continue to back the police so that they can respond to the needs of the community. That is certainly being reflected in the way they are now operating.
(1)-(2) Of course, no-one would rely on the figures that he used on the basis that they had not been taken out of context. We do know that since we have put in place the call centre there has been a huge increase in the number of calls answered. It was quite common practice under the Liberal coalition government that when people rang the police they simply did not get through to a police station; they rang out. That is what happened under the last government. What we have found through the call centre is a huge increase in calls being received, going to tens of thousands of calls. The police are responding to them. Clearly, that has put pressure on the police on the front line. Under the last government, they did not go out because they did not know about it in many cases. Now they are getting the calls through and they are responding. Again, in the past four years of the Liberal coalition government, it did not employ one additional police officer. We have employed 250 police officers in our first term and 350 this term, which means 600 additional police officers. In addition, we have employed 160 public servants who are doing some of the clerical work so that more police officers can be on the front line. We are now seeing a decline in a whole range of offences and an improvement in the clean-up rate. We now have a police force that is steps ahead of where it was when the Liberal coalition government was in power. The demand is huge, which puts the officers under great pressure, but we are resourcing them in a way in which they were never resourced before. We will continue to back the police so that they can respond to the needs of the community. That is certainly being reflected in the way they are now operating.
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