The Western Australia Police Union (WAPU) firmly supports any measures that aim to deter crime and enhance the safety and security of our Members and the community. However, we believe the community’s expectations around punishments and crime prevention are not being met. While the video recording of crimes may be disturbing, we argue that a more effective strategy would be to prevent crime from occurring in the first place.
Recently, the WA state government introduced several policies aimed at addressing crime, including the Firearm Buyback Scheme, measures around Domestic Violence and firearms, “Tim’s Law” for P-platers, and the newly proposed “Post and Boast” legislation. As a union, our central question is: who will carry out the work required to implement these initiatives?
WA already has the lowest per capita police force in the nation, and these new policies will only add further pressure to an already stretched police workforce. The result will likely be increased workloads for officers, leading to greater challenges in both recruitment and retention, and making policing in our state increasingly difficult.
Additionally, WAPU is concerned about the timing of these policy changes, especially with the upcoming election on the horizon.
WAPU remains supportive in improving the safety of our community, but we call for a clear strategy, sufficient resources, and a more comprehensive approach that considers the capacity of our police force to meet these growing demands.
Dave Flaherty
President, WA Police Union
MEDIA CONTACT
David Jobson – E: david.jobson@wapu.org.au