June 18, 2018 Budget funding and staff cuts threaten police numbers The State Government has refused to rule out cuts to operational staff at the Mundijong Police Station in the face of a steep rise in crime rates in Mundaring, Serpentine and Kelmscott. Shadow Police Minister Peter Katsambanis said both Premier Mark McGowan and the Minister for Police had refused under questioning in Parliament this past week to commit to maintain existing staffing levels at Mundijong. “During the past year, crime in Mundaring has increased by 39 per cent, in Serpentine by 18 per cent and in Kelmscott by 12 per cent,” Mr Katsambanis said. “At a time when the Government should be increasing the police presence in these areas, residents are being told they can’t even be guaranteed it won’t be cut.” Mr Katsambanis said he was also shocked to see the Premier and senior Government Ministers treat a question from the Opposition in Parliament about operational cuts at the Mundijong station as a joke. “The Premier and other members started laughing and joking – dismissing the importance of the question to the people of Darling Range – and then accused the Opposition of whinging, whining and moaning,” he said. “This is not a joke for the victims of crime and I think it is arrogant for Premier McGowan to dismiss calls to maintain policing levels in Mundijong, especially given the recent budget cuts to police funding and staffing numbers across the State. Mr Katsambanis said crime had been one of the biggest issues to be raised with Opposition members during doorknocking in the Darling Range electorate in the past four weeks with Alyssa Hayden, the Liberal candidate in the upcoming by election. Ms Hayden said the people of Darling Range deserved better than the derision and smoke and mirrors they were getting from this Government around policing and crime in Darling Range. “The people we are talking to want their houses to be safe when they are at work during the day and for them and their family to be safe in their homes at night,” Ms Hayden said. “That’s not a big ask and it deserves to be taken seriously. If I am elected I will make it a personal crusade to force the Premier and Minister for Police to answer questions about crime and policing levels in the electorate. “I will not allow the Premier to treat the safety of the people of Darling Range as a joke or brush aside their concerns as whinging and whining.” Media Contact |
