❓ Question regarding the rollout of mobile phones to WA police officers and how they are aiding in their work. The Minister responds positively, highlighting the benefits and contrasting it with previous opposition.
AnsweredQoN 44Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
POLICE — MOBILE
PHONES
44. Ms M.M. QUIRK to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to ensuring that WA's police officers
have the resources they need to help keep the community safe. Can the minister
update the house on the roll-out of mobile phones to Western Australian police?
Can the minister advise the house how this is helping police in the valuable
work they do to protect our community?
PHONES
44. Ms M.M. QUIRK to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to ensuring that WA's police officers
have the resources they need to help keep the community safe. Can the minister
update the house on the roll-out of mobile phones to Western Australian police?
Can the minister advise the house how this is helping police in the valuable
work they do to protect our community?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Girrawheen
for her excellent question and for her support of WA police officers, which has
been ongoing for many years, particularly her support of those police officers
who have been injured in the course of their duties. Despite the harsh economic
terms we inherited from the Barnett–Harvey government, we have had an
unparalleled investment in the Western Australia Police Force and we have been
able to provide our police with the resources they have needed for some years—resources
that were denied to them by the former government. I refer to things like the
rollout of stab-proof vests, which obviously aid our officers by improving
their safety, and body-worn cameras are something they have been asking for for
years. Last year I announced that we would roll out mobile phones to police
officers. That announcement was disparaged by the Leader of the Opposition in
November last year. She said, ''They don't need mobile phones.
What use will they be?'' Let me tell members how fast we have managed to
roll them out. We have rolled out some 3 800 mobile phones in the metropolitan area and in regional areas, and they
have been very welcomed. They have a range of applications based on
those phones that are proving to be invaluable in the field. They can perform
ID checks and risk assessments. They can search the police database and they
enhance officer safety in the field. I will give one example. This is a $34
million-plus investment in our police by our government.
I
heard recently that Senior Constable Cartmill in the Kimberley and police dog
Hank were responding to a situation about 40 kilometres from Broome near
a roadhouse. They were in thick scrub and it was dark—it was night—and
he was calling for assistance. He was able to use the OneForce locator app on
his mobile phone. There were no landmarks or other things that would normally
occur to identify where he was. Using that OneForce locator on his phone, two
police cars were able to pull up in a very short period and identify exactly
where he and the dog were. It was of phenomenal assistance. I will highlight
what Senior Constable Cartmill said. He said —
They
literally just tracked me on the app and pulled up next to me in the middle of
nowhere. It provided a real sense of
security as I've previously had major issues achieving exactly this
when I'm out with the dog.
So thank you for helping to make my
workplace safer and easier to operate in. It is appreciated.
I note too that recently a Swiss
tourist in the Karijini National Park was able to be located, partly because
she had a personal locator beacon, but also when police had that on a map, they
went out on location, could not see her in the first instance, turned on their
location device on their phones and from that it was able to be readily
ascertained that they were about 500 metres away from the lost tourist. Those
phones are proving to be invaluable in all kinds of ways in the field. They are
enhancing officer safety and they have been welcomed by all police officers who
have received them in our state.
for her excellent question and for her support of WA police officers, which has
been ongoing for many years, particularly her support of those police officers
who have been injured in the course of their duties. Despite the harsh economic
terms we inherited from the Barnett–Harvey government, we have had an
unparalleled investment in the Western Australia Police Force and we have been
able to provide our police with the resources they have needed for some years—resources
that were denied to them by the former government. I refer to things like the
rollout of stab-proof vests, which obviously aid our officers by improving
their safety, and body-worn cameras are something they have been asking for for
years. Last year I announced that we would roll out mobile phones to police
officers. That announcement was disparaged by the Leader of the Opposition in
November last year. She said, ''They don't need mobile phones.
What use will they be?'' Let me tell members how fast we have managed to
roll them out. We have rolled out some 3 800 mobile phones in the metropolitan area and in regional areas, and they
have been very welcomed. They have a range of applications based on
those phones that are proving to be invaluable in the field. They can perform
ID checks and risk assessments. They can search the police database and they
enhance officer safety in the field. I will give one example. This is a $34
million-plus investment in our police by our government.
I
heard recently that Senior Constable Cartmill in the Kimberley and police dog
Hank were responding to a situation about 40 kilometres from Broome near
a roadhouse. They were in thick scrub and it was dark—it was night—and
he was calling for assistance. He was able to use the OneForce locator app on
his mobile phone. There were no landmarks or other things that would normally
occur to identify where he was. Using that OneForce locator on his phone, two
police cars were able to pull up in a very short period and identify exactly
where he and the dog were. It was of phenomenal assistance. I will highlight
what Senior Constable Cartmill said. He said —
They
literally just tracked me on the app and pulled up next to me in the middle of
nowhere. It provided a real sense of
security as I've previously had major issues achieving exactly this
when I'm out with the dog.
So thank you for helping to make my
workplace safer and easier to operate in. It is appreciated.
I note too that recently a Swiss
tourist in the Karijini National Park was able to be located, partly because
she had a personal locator beacon, but also when police had that on a map, they
went out on location, could not see her in the first instance, turned on their
location device on their phones and from that it was able to be readily
ascertained that they were about 500 metres away from the lost tourist. Those
phones are proving to be invaluable in all kinds of ways in the field. They are
enhancing officer safety and they have been welcomed by all police officers who
have received them in our state.
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