❓ Mr Catania questions the Minister for Police about crime and antisocial behaviour in regional WA, specifically Fitzroy Crossing and police vacancies in Derby. The Minister refutes the claims, highlighting increased police numbers and volunteer deployments to regional areas.
AnsweredQoN 603Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CRIME AND ANTISOCIAL
BEHAVIOUR — REGIONS
603. Mr V.A. CATANIA to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the unacceptable level
of crime and antisocial behaviour across regional Western Australia.
(1) What is the
government doing about the serious crime wave that is gripping the heart of
Fitzroy Crossing, as residents are living in fear and surrendering their
streets to gangs and young troublemakers?
(2) What is the
government doing to fill the high number of vacant positions for police across
the region, including 10 empty positions in Derby alone?
BEHAVIOUR — REGIONS
603. Mr V.A. CATANIA to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the unacceptable level
of crime and antisocial behaviour across regional Western Australia.
(1) What is the
government doing about the serious crime wave that is gripping the heart of
Fitzroy Crossing, as residents are living in fear and surrendering their
streets to gangs and young troublemakers?
(2) What is the
government doing to fill the high number of vacant positions for police across
the region, including 10 empty positions in Derby alone?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I am at a loss as to where the member sources the
questions he asks me. With respect to the last observation the member
made, I was in Derby only a few weeks ago visiting the police, and I can tell
him that whilst I was there I saw something like half a dozen recent graduate
officers who passed out of the academy, one of the many graduations I have
attended since becoming the minister. As I indicated yesterday, more police
officers are joining the Western Australia Police Force and graduating from the
academy in such a short time than ever before in history. Many of them are
going to the regions, including Derby. By the way,
they are voluntarily going to places like Derby. I met officers going to
Kununurra at the last graduation . Young officers, wonderful young Western
Australians, are volunteering in their droves to serve the community and protect Western Australia at this
time of great need—when we confront a global pandemic and
challenges the likes of which none of us alive has confronted before. They are
volunteering; they are stepping forward to put themselves in the place of
taking responsibility for caring for their community. I have to commend them for that—and they are doing it in Derby.
There are more officers there than when the Nationals were in
government. Sadly, crime is a constant presence in all communities and it is no different in Western Australia. I am not
sure what the member is talking about. If he wants to ask a specific question about an incident, an offence or a report
and he wants me to respond to that, I am happy to respond.
questions he asks me. With respect to the last observation the member
made, I was in Derby only a few weeks ago visiting the police, and I can tell
him that whilst I was there I saw something like half a dozen recent graduate
officers who passed out of the academy, one of the many graduations I have
attended since becoming the minister. As I indicated yesterday, more police
officers are joining the Western Australia Police Force and graduating from the
academy in such a short time than ever before in history. Many of them are
going to the regions, including Derby. By the way,
they are voluntarily going to places like Derby. I met officers going to
Kununurra at the last graduation . Young officers, wonderful young Western
Australians, are volunteering in their droves to serve the community and protect Western Australia at this
time of great need—when we confront a global pandemic and
challenges the likes of which none of us alive has confronted before. They are
volunteering; they are stepping forward to put themselves in the place of
taking responsibility for caring for their community. I have to commend them for that—and they are doing it in Derby.
There are more officers there than when the Nationals were in
government. Sadly, crime is a constant presence in all communities and it is no different in Western Australia. I am not
sure what the member is talking about. If he wants to ask a specific question about an incident, an offence or a report
and he wants me to respond to that, I am happy to respond.
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