❓ A WA parliamentary question on notice investigates staffing levels, the role of Protective Service Officers (PSOs), and overcrowding in WA police custodial facilities, particularly the Perth Watch House, since January 2025. The response indicates increased staffing, PSO deployment as needed, and frequent capacity exceedances at the Perth Watch House.
AnsweredQoN 1024Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
(1) Since 1 January 2025, how have qualified staffing levels within custodial facilities and police lock-ups changed across Western Australia? (2) What factors have contributed to any reduction in the number of appropriately qualified personnel assigned to custodial or detainee management duties during this period? (3) Has the Western Australia Police Force undertaken any internal reviews or workforce planning assessments regarding staffing levels in custodial settings since January 2025: (a) If so, will the Minister table the findings? (4) Are Protective Service Officers (PSOs) currently being assigned duties within watch house or lock-up facilities in Western Australia: (a) If yes, are these officers currently serving PSOs, or are they former sworn police officers redeployed to PSO roles? (5) What training or refresher courses have these PSOs undertaken to ensure they are appropriately qualified to manage detainees, conduct cell extractions, or maintain custodial safety? (6) Under what operational definition or criteria are PSOs deployed to custodial roles "in the event of emergencies": (a) What constitutes an emergency for the purposes of their deployment? (7) When not deployed in an emergency context, what duties, if any, are PSOs assigned within custodial environments? (8) Is the deployment of PSOs to watch house or lock-up duties intended to contribute to overall staffing headcounts or operational coverage figures? (9) What operational risks or safety concerns have been identified by the Western Australia Police Force in relation to deploying officers who are not currently certified in detainee handling or extraction procedures? (10) Does the use of unqualified or partially trained officers place additional operational and safety burdens on the fully qualified personnel who remain responsible for detainee and staff welfare? (11) What procedures are in place to ensure safe working conditions when cell populations exceed planned capacity, including in scenarios where 4–6 detainees are placed in a single cell? (12) How many auxiliary police officers have been deployed to provide court security services in regional Western Australia in the 12 months prior to 12 November 2025: (a) which regional locations were they deployed to; and (b) for what durations? (13) As a result of reallocating auxiliary officers to court security duties, how many PSOs have been redeployed to undertake watch house duties? (14) How many general duties police officers have been used to backfill roles typically assigned to PSOs or auxiliary officers during this period? (15) Since 1 January 2025, how many instances have occurred where the number of detainees held in a police custodial facility or lock-up exceeded the approved capacity of that facility: (a) For each instance referred, will the Minister table the following: (i) the name and location of the facility; (ii) the approved detainee capacity; (iii) the number of detainees held during the exceedance; and (iv) the date(s) on which it occurred? (16) Specifically, how many times has the Perth Watch House exceeded its maximum capacity of 78 detainees since 1 January 2025, and what was the highest recorded number held? (17) What safety protocols are in place at the Perth Watch House in circumstances where 90 or more detainees are held, including staffing ratios, cell sharing arrangements, and emergency extraction capabilities?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
17 February 2026
Responded by
Minister for Police
Response time
7 days
1) Qualified staffing levels within custodial facilities and police lockups have increased.
2) Not applicable.
3) The WA Police Force routinely undertakes internal reviews and workforce planning assessments to ensure staffing levels in custodial settings remain aligned with operational requirements and service delivery standards.
a) No.
4) Protective Service Officers (PSOs) have and will be deployed to the Perth Watch House or police lock up facilities in Western Australia as necessary to maintain safe operations and meet operational requirements.
a) PSOs are employed by the WA Police Force to undertake designated duties that correspond with their conditions of employment and operational requirements.
5) PSOs receive custodial training at the WA Police Force Academy. When assigned to custodial settings such as the Perth Watch House, they perform duties consistent with their training and capability
6) PSOs are deployed to custodial roles when operationally required.
a) Not applicable
7) If PSOs are deployed to custodial roles, they will perform duties as operationally required consistent with their training and capability.
8) No. PSOs are only deployed when operationally required.
9) There have been no operational risks or safety concerns identified, as the WA Police Force deploys officers to perform duties consistent with their training and capability.
10) All WA Police Force personnel deployed to custodial roles perform duties consistent with their training and capability which assists permanent custody staff to perform their responsibilities.
11) WA Police Force confirms that there are procedures in place, however due to operational sensitivities operational policies and procedures are not able to be released.
12) (a) and (b). There have been 402 PAO deployments to 51 courts, 302 times, over 1017 deployment days.
13) Two (2).
14) Nil.
15) a) The WA Police Force operates many custodial facilities and lockups across Metropolitan and Regional WA police stations and business units. Except for the Perth Watch House (PWH), the WA Police Force is unable to provide information about the design capacity, as gathering this data would require significant effort and divert resources from operational priorities. The PWH does not have an approved capacity rather a design capacity. The PWH is able to manage detainees safely above the designed capacity.
Between 1 January 2025 and 19 January 2026, the design capacity was exceeded at the PWH on 95 days.
(i) The Perth Watch House.
(ii) The design capacity is 72.
(iii) and (iv)
Year
Month
Date Over Design Capacity
Maximum Number of Detainees over the Design Capacity
2025
Jan
02/01/2025
3
05/01/2025
2
12/01/2025
1
18/01/2025
1
25/01/2025
19
26/01/2025
11
27/01/2025
3
Feb
01/02/2025
8
09/02/2025
5
13/02/2025
3
22/02/2025
1
26/02/2025
2
Mar
04/03/2025
3
05/03/2025
3
08/03/2025
4
09/03/2025
13
23/03/2025
5
30/03/2025
4
Apr
18/04/2025
42
19/04/2025
54
25/04/2025
3
26/04/2025
10
May
01/05/2025
5
03/05/2025
11
04/05/2025
3
10/05/2025
4
11/05/2025
8
13/05/2025
1
17/05/2025
15
23/05/2025
2
24/05/2025
15
Jun
01/06/2025
2
08/06/2025
3
22/06/2025
1
Jul
03/07/202
10
06/07/2025
3
10/07/2025
1
13/07/2025
5
18/07/2025
6
19/07/2025
3
20/07/2025
7
Aug
01/08/2025
9
09/08/2025
9
10/08/2025
8
16/08/2025
5
24/08/2025
10
30/08/2025
8
Sep
28/09/2025
13
30/09/2025
1
Oct
04/10/2025
8
10/10/2025
1
11/10/2025
6
25/10/2025
17
26/10/2025
9
31/10/2025
3
Nov
01/11/2025
7
02/11/2025
15
08/11/2025
15
09/11/2025
11
12/11/2025
1
13/11/2025
5
14/11/2025
3
15/11/2025
6
19/11/2025
5
20/11/2025
17
22/11/2025
5
23/11/2025
14
27/11/2025
7
29/11/2025
9
30/11/2025
8
Dec
05/12/2025
8
07/12/2025
13
11/12/2025
1
11/12/2025
1
13/12/2025
28
14/12/2025
29
20/12/2025
11
21/12/2025
31
23/12/2025
3
24/12/2025
2
25/12/2025
25
26/12/2025
59
27/12/2025
12
28/12/2025
4
31/12/2025
7
2026
Jan
01/01/2026
17
02/01/2026
25
03/01/2026
17
04/01/2026
19
08/01/2026
3
10/01/2026
10
11/01/2026
6
16/01/2026
5
17/01/2026
36
18/01/2026
7
16) The Perth Watch House was designed to accommodate 72 detainees. Between 1 January 2025 and 19 January 2026, this capacity was exceeded on 95 occasions. The highest recorded number of detainees—131—occurred on 26 December 2025 (Boxing Day), primarily due to there being no Christmas day Court sitting.
17) The WA Police Force has appropriate safety protocols in place. Due to operational sensitivities WA Police Force operational policies and procedures are not able to be released.
2) Not applicable.
3) The WA Police Force routinely undertakes internal reviews and workforce planning assessments to ensure staffing levels in custodial settings remain aligned with operational requirements and service delivery standards.
a) No.
4) Protective Service Officers (PSOs) have and will be deployed to the Perth Watch House or police lock up facilities in Western Australia as necessary to maintain safe operations and meet operational requirements.
a) PSOs are employed by the WA Police Force to undertake designated duties that correspond with their conditions of employment and operational requirements.
5) PSOs receive custodial training at the WA Police Force Academy. When assigned to custodial settings such as the Perth Watch House, they perform duties consistent with their training and capability
6) PSOs are deployed to custodial roles when operationally required.
a) Not applicable
7) If PSOs are deployed to custodial roles, they will perform duties as operationally required consistent with their training and capability.
8) No. PSOs are only deployed when operationally required.
9) There have been no operational risks or safety concerns identified, as the WA Police Force deploys officers to perform duties consistent with their training and capability.
10) All WA Police Force personnel deployed to custodial roles perform duties consistent with their training and capability which assists permanent custody staff to perform their responsibilities.
11) WA Police Force confirms that there are procedures in place, however due to operational sensitivities operational policies and procedures are not able to be released.
12) (a) and (b). There have been 402 PAO deployments to 51 courts, 302 times, over 1017 deployment days.
13) Two (2).
14) Nil.
15) a) The WA Police Force operates many custodial facilities and lockups across Metropolitan and Regional WA police stations and business units. Except for the Perth Watch House (PWH), the WA Police Force is unable to provide information about the design capacity, as gathering this data would require significant effort and divert resources from operational priorities. The PWH does not have an approved capacity rather a design capacity. The PWH is able to manage detainees safely above the designed capacity.
Between 1 January 2025 and 19 January 2026, the design capacity was exceeded at the PWH on 95 days.
(i) The Perth Watch House.
(ii) The design capacity is 72.
(iii) and (iv)
Year
Month
Date Over Design Capacity
Maximum Number of Detainees over the Design Capacity
2025
Jan
02/01/2025
3
05/01/2025
2
12/01/2025
1
18/01/2025
1
25/01/2025
19
26/01/2025
11
27/01/2025
3
Feb
01/02/2025
8
09/02/2025
5
13/02/2025
3
22/02/2025
1
26/02/2025
2
Mar
04/03/2025
3
05/03/2025
3
08/03/2025
4
09/03/2025
13
23/03/2025
5
30/03/2025
4
Apr
18/04/2025
42
19/04/2025
54
25/04/2025
3
26/04/2025
10
May
01/05/2025
5
03/05/2025
11
04/05/2025
3
10/05/2025
4
11/05/2025
8
13/05/2025
1
17/05/2025
15
23/05/2025
2
24/05/2025
15
Jun
01/06/2025
2
08/06/2025
3
22/06/2025
1
Jul
03/07/202
10
06/07/2025
3
10/07/2025
1
13/07/2025
5
18/07/2025
6
19/07/2025
3
20/07/2025
7
Aug
01/08/2025
9
09/08/2025
9
10/08/2025
8
16/08/2025
5
24/08/2025
10
30/08/2025
8
Sep
28/09/2025
13
30/09/2025
1
Oct
04/10/2025
8
10/10/2025
1
11/10/2025
6
25/10/2025
17
26/10/2025
9
31/10/2025
3
Nov
01/11/2025
7
02/11/2025
15
08/11/2025
15
09/11/2025
11
12/11/2025
1
13/11/2025
5
14/11/2025
3
15/11/2025
6
19/11/2025
5
20/11/2025
17
22/11/2025
5
23/11/2025
14
27/11/2025
7
29/11/2025
9
30/11/2025
8
Dec
05/12/2025
8
07/12/2025
13
11/12/2025
1
11/12/2025
1
13/12/2025
28
14/12/2025
29
20/12/2025
11
21/12/2025
31
23/12/2025
3
24/12/2025
2
25/12/2025
25
26/12/2025
59
27/12/2025
12
28/12/2025
4
31/12/2025
7
2026
Jan
01/01/2026
17
02/01/2026
25
03/01/2026
17
04/01/2026
19
08/01/2026
3
10/01/2026
10
11/01/2026
6
16/01/2026
5
17/01/2026
36
18/01/2026
7
16) The Perth Watch House was designed to accommodate 72 detainees. Between 1 January 2025 and 19 January 2026, this capacity was exceeded on 95 occasions. The highest recorded number of detainees—131—occurred on 26 December 2025 (Boxing Day), primarily due to there being no Christmas day Court sitting.
17) The WA Police Force has appropriate safety protocols in place. Due to operational sensitivities WA Police Force operational policies and procedures are not able to be released.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.