WA is in a violent crime crisis as crime surges this financial year

Latest crime statistics point towards a drastic rise in violent crime with figures highlighting that across every single metric and location, crime is on the rise with no signs of slowing down.

This points towards a government that has utterly failed to keep Western Australians safe, assault is up 10 per cent, threating behaviour up 29 per cent and breach of violence restraining orders up 13.5 per cent when compared to the same period from the previous year.

“These statistics reinforce what every Western Australian apart from the Police Minister already knows - and that is that crime is out of control throughout the state,’ Shadow Minister for Police Peter Collier said.

Compared to the five-year average, the total of all reportable crimes is up 9.9%, offences against the person are up 19.7% and family and domestic violence is now up to 41%, a sign that this trend has continued to worsen despite the Cook Labor Government’s best efforts.

“Roger Cook and WA Labor have totally and utterly failed to keep Western Australians in our community safe – everything they’ve invested or done in this space has been a failure.

“What makes these figures even more alarming is that they come on the back of record resignations from the police force.

“Over one thousand officers have left the force over the past two years, vastly exceeding the long term annual average attrition rate of 150.

“This is despite the Minister for Police, until two months ago, constantly declaring that the Cook Labor Government would easily deliver their promise of an additional 950 officers by June 2024.” “The Opposition has constantly referred to the low morale that permeates our police force and that this is primarily responsible for the exodus of officers – an issue that is obviously leading to more crimes on our streets.”

The most confronting figures surround family and domestic violence, which has skyrocketed to 41% above the five-year average, highlighting how this issue has continued to worsen under WA Labor.

“Tragedy after tragedy has become the disturbing norm as family and domestic violence once again increases under the Cook Labor Government’s watch,” Shadow Minister for Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence Libby Mettam said.

“The Cook Labor Government has dragged their feet on introducing legislation to ensure those who breach a VRO are GPS tracked, despite the trial finishing in 2022.

“This government simply hasn’t done enough to tackle this scourge on our society, where is the coercive control legislation or the additional funding for refuges?

“Despite receiving federal funding for 38 frontline FDV workers this government has only appointed 6, again highlighting how Roger Cook has not made this issue a priority.

“One thing is abundantly clear – if Western Australians are sick of feeling unsafe in their own homes and their communities, the only way to make meaningful change is to vote this incompetent government out at the next election.”