The WA Liberals have today announced their $500m Community Policing policy to retain WA’s police officers and to crackdown on crime, making Western Australians safer. It will deal with two pivotal issues facing law and order throughout WA – lack of police presence on our streets and the safety and welfare of our officers.

Our Community Policing policy to crackdown on crime will have four streams:

Safer Communities

Additional 300 frontline police officers through overtime;

500 additional police officers over 4 years – dedicated to regional areas, domestic violence unit, traffic control unit, meth taskforce and district shortages;

School Engagement Officers – 20 retiring police officers to work with disengaged youth in our schools; and

Increase the number of police dogs by 10 for high crime areas and regional districts.

Career Policing

Increase superannuation for police serving five years by 2 per cent and 10 years by an additional 3 per cent (to 5 per cent in total).

Healthier Policing

Significantly increasing welfare services for serving and former police officers; and

Increased psychologists and chaplains and funding for external psychologist and psychiatrist services.

Enhanced Policing

Broad ranging and comprehensive review of WA policing conducted by an external consultant from another jurisdiction.

Libby Mettam, WA Liberal Leader said crime and anti-social behaviour was out of control in WA, and disrupting too many lives.

“Western Australians deserve to feel safe in their own homes, but increasingly few do.

“Since Labor came to power, family-related assaults are up 54%, threatening behaviour in the family home is up 140%, breach of restraining order is up 44%, assault is up 46% and robberies are up 44%.

“It’s even worse in the regions – crime is up 30 per cent in Albany and Kalgoorlie, 51 per cent in Karratha and a massive 76 per cent in Carnarvon in just two years.

“Much of regional WA is living through the worst crime wave on record.

“Western Australians don’t need statistics to tell them there are more robberies, more drugs, and more anti-social behaviour – they are living through it.

Ms Mettam also pointed out that WA had experienced an unprecedented exodus of police under the Cook Labor Government.

“There has been an exodus of police officers in the last two years with more than 1,000 mostly experienced officers having left.

“Police do a tough job, with burnout, fatigue and low morale from a Minister who treats frontline officers with contempt are all factors contributing to the exodus of police.

“Nobody should be surprised there are fewer cops on the beat, especially when there is a court system soft of violent repeat offenders.

“Our Building a Better Future blueprint is clear we will crackdown on crime, and our community policing policy shows how we are going to do it.”

Shadow Police Minister Peter Collier said this election offered Western Australians a clear choice to back WA’s police officers, and drive down crime, or to continue seeing police resignations and soaring crime.

“Crime is out of control throughout Western Australia and police resignations are at a record high - the WA Liberals’ will address these issues with a comprehensive and innovative suite of policies through our Community Policing policy,” said Mr Collier.

“The WA Liberals’ Safer Communities policy will immediately place 300 additional front-line officers back on our street, and over four years, we will employ an additional 500 police officer over four years.

“This will address the significant shortfalls in our regions, as well as the specialist areas of domestic violence, the meth taskforce and the road traffic division.”

According to WA Police statistics, juvenile crime is rampant across WA, with many juveniles being repeat offenders, particularly in the regions. Many of these youth are disengaged, and do not have the support mechanisms to modify their behaviour.

Drawing on the Liberal Party’s proud track record in assisting these youth, a Mettam Liberal Government will address youth crime with innovative new policies. To support youth modifying their antisocial behaviour, we will introduce the School Engagement Officer programme.

The WA Liberals’ School Engagement Officer programme will employ 20 police officers approaching retirement to work three days a week specifically with disengaged youth.

“There are an increasing number of disengaged students in our schools, many of whom transition into the juvenile justice system and ultimately a life of crime,” said Mr Collier.

“The WA Liberals will engage 20 retiring police officers to work three days a week directly with these students throughout Western Australia.

“The School Engagement Officer Programme will be developed by the Department of Education and WA Police and will involve pastoral care, respectful relationships and mentoring for this challenging cohort of students.”

Despite the Cook Labor Government’s promise of 950 additional officers above attrition, they have fallen 230 officers short. Given crime has escalated across WA, coupled with attrition rates, it is imperative we increase the number of frontline officers, and give those officers as much support as possible, including with additional police dogs.

“The WA Liberals will recruit an additional 500 police offices over the next four years, including 300 new graduates and the balance of the 950 promised by WA Labor,” said Mr Collier.

“In addition, the Liberals will add 10 police dogs to support our front-line officers in combating rampant crime in our entertainment areas and the regions.”

Mr Collier said that any approach to cracking down on crime needed to start with addressing the unprecedented number of police leaving the force and retaining skilled and experienced officers currently in the force.

“Over the past three years, over 1,000 disillusioned officers have walked away from the force,” said Mr Collier

“The WA Liberals will provide incentives for officers to stay, including a financial incentive through a significant increase in their superannuation which will encourage long-term retention of officers.”

However, with the growing challenges of policing – as well as the low morale cultivated by the Cook Labor Government – the importance of retention has increased.

“Given the increasingly complex issues throughout our community, our police officers are under more pressure than ever before,” said Mr Collier

“Many are suffering in silence, while others have simply ‘walked away’, leading to record resignations from the force.

“The WA Liberals will significantly enhance welfare access available for our police officers, including increased psychological, psychiatry and chaplaincy services’

With rising, and increasingly violent crime, we know the WA community wants visible police focused on fixing the reoccurring crime and antisocial issues. It is time to review, remodel and reset the focus of policing in WA to make sure the community and on-the-beat officers are being listened to.

A WA Liberal Government will initiate a review, to be completed within six months of coming to office. The review will be carried out by a consultant from another jurisdiction. The review will draw on the input of the WA community, the policing workforce, and contemporary learnings from policing both nationally and internationally. The implementation of the review findings will be swift and focused on those things which matter most to the community.

“Many of our police officers are disillusioned and they feel that their concerns are not being listened to, nor addressed, said Mr Collier.

“The Liberals have heard their concerns and will initiate a comprehensive review of the delivery of policing within Western Australia.”