The Leader of the Opposition questions the Minister for Police about the intended role of police cadets, specifically regarding their potential involvement in dismantling drug labs and handling drugs/firearms. The Minister denies these claims, clarifying the cadet program's purpose and its relation to recruitment targets.

AnsweredQoN 315Legislative Assembly
Asked
25 June 2013
Portfolio
Police

QuestionView source ↗

POLICE — RECRUITMENT
315. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Minister for Police:
I have a supplementary question.
I acknowledge the students from St Joseph's College
in Albany, who were in the gallery a moment ago.
Why is the minister intending to convert police cadets, some
of whom are aged 16 to 18 years, into police auxiliary officers—a role
in which they will have the capacity to dismantle clandestine drug labs and be
involved with the storage of drugs and firearms?

AnswerView source ↗

I not quite sure where the Leader of the Opposition gets his
information. The police cadet program is just that—a cadet program. We are looking at moving these cadets from employment under the
Public Sector Management Act to the Police Act. Our cadets will not carry out
the role of police auxiliary officers or sworn police officers; they will be cadets. The police cadet program is
a way for us to have more security around recruitment for our very ambitious
target. I fully expect that some of those cadets will form part of the
government's commitment that will see the expansion of the WA Police
service by 1 050 police and police auxiliary officers over its eight years in
government.

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