❓ Member for Armadale questions the Minister for Police regarding crime in Armadale and accessibility of the local police station. The Minister deflects, promising a community forum and requesting more information about a specific incident.
AnsweredQoN 256Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
POLICE —
ARMADALE
256. Dr A.D. BUTI to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the well-attended public
forum held in Armadale last night, at which the overwhelming view of those
present was that crime is the number one issue in our community.
(1) Is this not a
clear message to the minister that she has failed the people of Armadale by
providing only a temporary increase in police resources rather than the major
district police station that residents need?
(2) Is it
acceptable that a father who had driven his distressed teenage daughter to
Armadale Police Station from Roleystone to report a sexual assault was unable
to access the police station at 4.10 pm on a weeknight and instead had to drive
through heavy traffic on Albany Highway to Cannington Police Station, the only
24/7 police station in the south east metropolitan region?
ARMADALE
256. Dr A.D. BUTI to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the well-attended public
forum held in Armadale last night, at which the overwhelming view of those
present was that crime is the number one issue in our community.
(1) Is this not a
clear message to the minister that she has failed the people of Armadale by
providing only a temporary increase in police resources rather than the major
district police station that residents need?
(2) Is it
acceptable that a father who had driven his distressed teenage daughter to
Armadale Police Station from Roleystone to report a sexual assault was unable
to access the police station at 4.10 pm on a weeknight and instead had to drive
through heavy traffic on Albany Highway to Cannington Police Station, the only
24/7 police station in the south east metropolitan region?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for Armadale for his question. It does also give me the
opportunity to advise the member for Armadale, if he is not already aware, that
the Commissioner of Police and I, in keeping with this government's
election commitment to continue to engage with the community, will be holding a
joint community forum on 20 June specifically to listen to the people of
Armadale about the issues that are confronting them in the law and order area.
Dr A.D. Buti : Can you answer the
question? That has nothing to do with the question!
The
SPEAKER : Member for Armadale!
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : That forum will be at the Evelyn Gribble Community Centre.
Point of Order
Dr
A.D. BUTI : Mr Speaker, my point of order is on relevance. The question that
I ask is quite clear. It has nothing to do with a forum next week. There were
no police in attendance last night. We do not need to know about next week.
Answer the question!
The
SPEAKER : Carry on, minister.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
There are two matters that the member for Armadale has
requested. With regard to the specific circumstance of the person who was taken
to Armadale Police Station and did not receive assistance at 10 minutes past
four, I would ask the member —
Dr A.D. Buti : Is
it acceptable? The question is: is it acceptable?
The SPEAKER :
Member for Armadale, I call you to order for the second time! Give the minister
a chance to answer the question.
Dr A.D. Buti : Mr
Speaker, the question is quite clear.
The SPEAKER: Member for Armadale, are you now questioning
my ruling or do you want to raise a point of order?
Point of Order
Dr A.D. BUTI :
Sorry, Mr Speaker. My point of order is I have asked a question of the minister
with regard to the father and the daughter, and whether it is acceptable. That
is the question. It is not about whether I should be provided with further
information. It is about whether the minister thinks it is acceptable that that
situation took place.
The SPEAKER : Carry
on, minister.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : I
put it to the member that it would be more appropriate to raise —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : I
find this situation extremely concerning. I would like to get a detailed
explanation from the member so that I can give due regard to the people
referred to in the query raised by the member and ensure that I get a full
explanation from police about what happened in that circumstance. Had I been
given some notice of this particular question, I would have been able to
provide a more elaborate response to the specific situation. I think it is very
concerning and, as Minister for Police, I want to find out exactly what
happened in that scenario.
With respect to people turning up at Armadale Police Station
at 10 minutes past four, there is an assistance button at the police station,
and if people press that assistance button, they immediately get put through to
131 444. If they had done that at the time, the nearest police officer to that
scenario would have attended. I want to find out exactly what happened. I want
to find out whether those people accessed that service available at the police
station.
Dr A.D. Buti : They
shouldn't have to press a button.
The SPEAKER :
Member!
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : I
think that matter deserves due consideration and a full and frank inquiry and
response by the police. I shall provide that once the date and the names of
those people are provided to me, and I will ensure that they get the service
that I expect from police.
thank the member for Armadale for his question. It does also give me the
opportunity to advise the member for Armadale, if he is not already aware, that
the Commissioner of Police and I, in keeping with this government's
election commitment to continue to engage with the community, will be holding a
joint community forum on 20 June specifically to listen to the people of
Armadale about the issues that are confronting them in the law and order area.
Dr A.D. Buti : Can you answer the
question? That has nothing to do with the question!
The
SPEAKER : Member for Armadale!
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : That forum will be at the Evelyn Gribble Community Centre.
Point of Order
Dr
A.D. BUTI : Mr Speaker, my point of order is on relevance. The question that
I ask is quite clear. It has nothing to do with a forum next week. There were
no police in attendance last night. We do not need to know about next week.
Answer the question!
The
SPEAKER : Carry on, minister.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
There are two matters that the member for Armadale has
requested. With regard to the specific circumstance of the person who was taken
to Armadale Police Station and did not receive assistance at 10 minutes past
four, I would ask the member —
Dr A.D. Buti : Is
it acceptable? The question is: is it acceptable?
The SPEAKER :
Member for Armadale, I call you to order for the second time! Give the minister
a chance to answer the question.
Dr A.D. Buti : Mr
Speaker, the question is quite clear.
The SPEAKER: Member for Armadale, are you now questioning
my ruling or do you want to raise a point of order?
Point of Order
Dr A.D. BUTI :
Sorry, Mr Speaker. My point of order is I have asked a question of the minister
with regard to the father and the daughter, and whether it is acceptable. That
is the question. It is not about whether I should be provided with further
information. It is about whether the minister thinks it is acceptable that that
situation took place.
The SPEAKER : Carry
on, minister.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : I
put it to the member that it would be more appropriate to raise —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : I
find this situation extremely concerning. I would like to get a detailed
explanation from the member so that I can give due regard to the people
referred to in the query raised by the member and ensure that I get a full
explanation from police about what happened in that circumstance. Had I been
given some notice of this particular question, I would have been able to
provide a more elaborate response to the specific situation. I think it is very
concerning and, as Minister for Police, I want to find out exactly what
happened in that scenario.
With respect to people turning up at Armadale Police Station
at 10 minutes past four, there is an assistance button at the police station,
and if people press that assistance button, they immediately get put through to
131 444. If they had done that at the time, the nearest police officer to that
scenario would have attended. I want to find out exactly what happened. I want
to find out whether those people accessed that service available at the police
station.
Dr A.D. Buti : They
shouldn't have to press a button.
The SPEAKER :
Member!
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : I
think that matter deserves due consideration and a full and frank inquiry and
response by the police. I shall provide that once the date and the names of
those people are provided to me, and I will ensure that they get the service
that I expect from police.
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