April 13 2018 Labor’s expensive micro management of police must stop Labor’s policy to require Armadale, Cockburn and Ellenbrook police stations to open 24 hours a day, seven days a week has been found to be a dud, expensive, populist policy, that doesn’t improve community safety. Shadow Minister for Police Peter Katsambanis said Labor went to the election with a policy to interfere with the decision making of the Police Commissioner and micro manage operations to score cheap political points. “As reported today, Labor’s policy of 24/7 police stations do not improve community safety with Freedom of Information laws revealing that on most nights, no one is going to the police stations after midnight,” Mr Katsambanis said. “It was simply an expensive political stunt by Labor to win votes. “The public want more a more visible police presence patrolling our streets and our suburbs. Despite sounding like a good idea, manning police stations 24 hours a day ties turns police officers into desk jockeys, reduces the number of police able to respond to emergencies and makes our community less safe. “Police Command have been forced by the Government to open these police stations 24 hours a day. This interference of policing and unnecessary micro management is disgraceful. “Front line policing services have been taken off the streets and put behind desks, and this is all because of the meddling by the Police Minister into the day to day operations of the Police Service, which should be the responsibility of the Commissioner of Police.” Mr Katsambanis said the Minister should accept her policy is a failure, immediately advise the Police Commissioner he is free to determine the opening hours of police stations and let him do his job without political interference. “The only reason we have these police stations open 24/7 is because of political interference,” Mr Katsambanis said. “The community should be extremely concerned that policing in Western Australia is being influenced by politicians. “There needs to be a separation of powers and the Minister needs to butt out. “She needs to advise the Commissioner her political stunt was a mistake and he is free to reverse the decision and make operational decisions based on best practice and he is not duty bound to implement political promises that are ineffective, costly and do not improve public safety.” Media Contact |
