❓ The Minister for Police announces a significant investment in drones for the WA Police Force, including the purchase of 35 drones and training for 60 officers, ensuring every regional policing district has access to drone technology.
AnsweredQoN 1040Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
POLICE — DRONES
1040. Ms C.M. ROWE to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's significant investment in resources and equipment that our
dedicated police officers need to keep our communities safe. Can the minister
update the house on how this government's investment in establishing a fleet
of remotely piloted aircraft will support police operations, and can the
minister advise the house how this investment builds on this government's
record of equipping WA police officers with much-needed modern resources?
1040. Ms C.M. ROWE to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's significant investment in resources and equipment that our
dedicated police officers need to keep our communities safe. Can the minister
update the house on how this government's investment in establishing a fleet
of remotely piloted aircraft will support police operations, and can the
minister advise the house how this investment builds on this government's
record of equipping WA police officers with much-needed modern resources?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Belmont for
that question and for her ongoing support of our police. I know she has an
excellent working relationship with police in her electorate.
In addition to the McGowan
government's commitment to purchasing another helicopter for the Western
Australia Police Force, today we have announced the establishment of a fleet of
remotely piloted aircraft, colloquially known as drones by most people. Up
until now, police have had access to fewer than a handful of drones, which they
have trialled and used for a variety of purposes, and they have seen their
effectiveness. I am well aware that other states are vastly more advanced in
this area than the Western Australia Police Force has been. I am delighted to
announce, though, that we have just put out a tender for the supply of some 35 drones
for the Western Australia Police Force, and as part of that tender we are
anticipating that some 60 police officers will be trained to deploy those
drones. Up until now, the only drones we
have had have been based at Jandakot and they have been deployed from Jandakot .
This will mean, Mr Speaker—your district will be one of the
beneficiaries—that every regional policing district will have access to
at least one drone and two officers qualified to be able to deploy them.
These
drones can be equipped with high-resolution digital video, also floodlights,
potentially speakers, and infrared capacity. They can be deployed at
daytime or night. They are useful in a huge range of activities. I think people
see the very obvious benefit of a grid search, for example, for a missing
person in a remote community. They can be deployed in the metropolitan area.
They are very useful over the vast regions of our state, perhaps searching for
a missing tourist or someone of that nature. They can also be deployed to crime
scenes to do crime scene mapping; they can be deployed in a variety of ways.
Rather than have fewer than a handful of drones at Jandakot, this will be a fleet
of some 35 drones or more with trained officers. Drones will be deployed in
every regional area and a number of our specialist squads will be looking
forward to having their own drone to deploy; for example, the tactical response
group and the water police. The range of activities the drones will be able to
assist police with are phenomenal. I saw a demonstration this morning. Drone
footage can be projected onto a screen, a tablet or a mobile phone and can be
directly fed back to the police operation command centre, so it can be seen on
the big screen and senior officers can have a bird's-eye view of a situation
that might be unfolding. This will provide an additional level of safety for
our officers and the community as well, because with those eyes above, much
more can be seen, particularly if there are hazardous situations where police
are deployed. This is a fantastic initiative that takes our police into the
modern era of policing.
that question and for her ongoing support of our police. I know she has an
excellent working relationship with police in her electorate.
In addition to the McGowan
government's commitment to purchasing another helicopter for the Western
Australia Police Force, today we have announced the establishment of a fleet of
remotely piloted aircraft, colloquially known as drones by most people. Up
until now, police have had access to fewer than a handful of drones, which they
have trialled and used for a variety of purposes, and they have seen their
effectiveness. I am well aware that other states are vastly more advanced in
this area than the Western Australia Police Force has been. I am delighted to
announce, though, that we have just put out a tender for the supply of some 35 drones
for the Western Australia Police Force, and as part of that tender we are
anticipating that some 60 police officers will be trained to deploy those
drones. Up until now, the only drones we
have had have been based at Jandakot and they have been deployed from Jandakot .
This will mean, Mr Speaker—your district will be one of the
beneficiaries—that every regional policing district will have access to
at least one drone and two officers qualified to be able to deploy them.
These
drones can be equipped with high-resolution digital video, also floodlights,
potentially speakers, and infrared capacity. They can be deployed at
daytime or night. They are useful in a huge range of activities. I think people
see the very obvious benefit of a grid search, for example, for a missing
person in a remote community. They can be deployed in the metropolitan area.
They are very useful over the vast regions of our state, perhaps searching for
a missing tourist or someone of that nature. They can also be deployed to crime
scenes to do crime scene mapping; they can be deployed in a variety of ways.
Rather than have fewer than a handful of drones at Jandakot, this will be a fleet
of some 35 drones or more with trained officers. Drones will be deployed in
every regional area and a number of our specialist squads will be looking
forward to having their own drone to deploy; for example, the tactical response
group and the water police. The range of activities the drones will be able to
assist police with are phenomenal. I saw a demonstration this morning. Drone
footage can be projected onto a screen, a tablet or a mobile phone and can be
directly fed back to the police operation command centre, so it can be seen on
the big screen and senior officers can have a bird's-eye view of a situation
that might be unfolding. This will provide an additional level of safety for
our officers and the community as well, because with those eyes above, much
more can be seen, particularly if there are hazardous situations where police
are deployed. This is a fantastic initiative that takes our police into the
modern era of policing.
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