Mr McNee questions the potential withdrawal of police officers from the wheatbelt, contrasting it with the government's promise to increase police numbers. Mrs Roberts denies the withdrawal and reaffirms the commitment to increase police numbers statewide, deferring deployment decisions to the Commissioner of Police.

AnsweredQoN 14Legislative Assembly
Asked
2 May 2001
Member
Portfolio
Police

QuestionView source ↗

(1) Can the minister confirm that 18 police officers - almost 15 per cent of the establishment - will be withdrawn from the wheatbelt region over the next 12 months? (2) How is this consistent with the Government’s election promise to increase police numbers by 200 officers? (3) Will it become standard government policy to centralise services in the city at the expense of regional areas? (4) Will the minister give an undertaking here and now that no staff will be removed from country police stations during this term of government and that officer numbers will be increased in high population growth regions? Mrs ROBERTS

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) No. (2) Not applicable. (3) No. (4) I guarantee that this Government will increase the number of police officers in this State by 250. As the member is aware, deployment of police officers in this State is the responsibility of the Commissioner of Police. I raised this issue with the commissioner this morning and I have sought a briefing. I understand that the comments made by the Leader of the National Party are entirely inaccurate.
(2) How is this consistent with the Government’s election promise to increase police numbers by 200 officers? (3) Will it become standard government policy to centralise services in the city at the expense of regional areas? (4) Will the minister give an undertaking here and now that no staff will be removed from country police stations during this term of government and that officer numbers will be increased in high population growth regions? Mrs ROBERTS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) No. (2) Not applicable. (3) No. (4) I guarantee that this Government will increase the number of police officers in this State by 250. As the member is aware, deployment of police officers in this State is the responsibility of the Commissioner of Police. I raised this issue with the commissioner this morning and I have sought a briefing. I understand that the comments made by the Leader of the National Party are entirely inaccurate.
(3) Will it become standard government policy to centralise services in the city at the expense of regional areas? (4) Will the minister give an undertaking here and now that no staff will be removed from country police stations during this term of government and that officer numbers will be increased in high population growth regions? Mrs ROBERTS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) No. (2) Not applicable. (3) No. (4) I guarantee that this Government will increase the number of police officers in this State by 250. As the member is aware, deployment of police officers in this State is the responsibility of the Commissioner of Police. I raised this issue with the commissioner this morning and I have sought a briefing. I understand that the comments made by the Leader of the National Party are entirely inaccurate.
(4) Will the minister give an undertaking here and now that no staff will be removed from country police stations during this term of government and that officer numbers will be increased in high population growth regions? Mrs ROBERTS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) No. (2) Not applicable. (3) No. (4) I guarantee that this Government will increase the number of police officers in this State by 250. As the member is aware, deployment of police officers in this State is the responsibility of the Commissioner of Police. I raised this issue with the commissioner this morning and I have sought a briefing. I understand that the comments made by the Leader of the National Party are entirely inaccurate.
Mrs ROBERTS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) No. (2) Not applicable. (3) No. (4) I guarantee that this Government will increase the number of police officers in this State by 250. As the member is aware, deployment of police officers in this State is the responsibility of the Commissioner of Police. I raised this issue with the commissioner this morning and I have sought a briefing. I understand that the comments made by the Leader of the National Party are entirely inaccurate.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) No. (2) Not applicable. (3) No. (4) I guarantee that this Government will increase the number of police officers in this State by 250. As the member is aware, deployment of police officers in this State is the responsibility of the Commissioner of Police. I raised this issue with the commissioner this morning and I have sought a briefing. I understand that the comments made by the Leader of the National Party are entirely inaccurate.
(1) No. (2) Not applicable. (3) No. (4) I guarantee that this Government will increase the number of police officers in this State by 250. As the member is aware, deployment of police officers in this State is the responsibility of the Commissioner of Police. I raised this issue with the commissioner this morning and I have sought a briefing. I understand that the comments made by the Leader of the National Party are entirely inaccurate.
(2) Not applicable. (3) No. (4) I guarantee that this Government will increase the number of police officers in this State by 250. As the member is aware, deployment of police officers in this State is the responsibility of the Commissioner of Police. I raised this issue with the commissioner this morning and I have sought a briefing. I understand that the comments made by the Leader of the National Party are entirely inaccurate.
(3) No. (4) I guarantee that this Government will increase the number of police officers in this State by 250. As the member is aware, deployment of police officers in this State is the responsibility of the Commissioner of Police. I raised this issue with the commissioner this morning and I have sought a briefing. I understand that the comments made by the Leader of the National Party are entirely inaccurate.
(4) I guarantee that this Government will increase the number of police officers in this State by 250. As the member is aware, deployment of police officers in this State is the responsibility of the Commissioner of Police. I raised this issue with the commissioner this morning and I have sought a briefing. I understand that the comments made by the Leader of the National Party are entirely inaccurate.

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