MASSIVE changes to the way the Peel district will be policed are expected to be officially announced today, with Police Commissioner Karl O’Callaghan saying “it’s all positive”.
Speaking with the Mandurah Mail yesterday, Mr O’Callaghan said the current “all-in” model of local policing would be improved with the new concept which will see the Peel district become part of the South Metro team.
The move, which will be in place by the end of the year, follows a trial of the new model in the South East policing district which has seen overall crime drop by eight per cent in just months, according to the Commissioner.
And while a permanent location for the southern policing base has yet to be decided on, Mr O’Callaghan said he saw only positives coming from the amalgamation.
“My job as Police Commissioner is to make sure crime goes down, not up,” he said.
“We are wanting to solve the problems [Mandurah has] down there.
This idea of central coordination is to make sure we have police in the areas of highest demand.
- Karl O'Callaghan
“This idea of central coordination is to make sure we have police in the areas of highest demand.”
What this means, according to the Commissioner, is at least 550 police officers for each of three metropolitan policing hubs which will ultimately encompass South Metro, South East Metro and North Metro.
Mr O’Callaghan said it meant an upward shift in numbers of officers available in Mandurah with the local station to continue running as is.
The biggest change will be the relocation of Peel traffic police to a central hub likely to be based in Forestdale.
Traffic officers will clock on and off from the base with police dispatched via a central command unit.
“The new model provides for three deployment centres across the metropolitan area north, south and east of the city,” Mr O’Callaghan said.
“These locations are simply where officers start and finish their day.”
“This model will also allow more targeted deployment of our new covert motorcycle fleet to achieve maximum benefit from this additional resource.”
But despite Mr O’Callaghan promising a “more strategic traffic model”, concerns have been raised about the relocation of local traffic officers and the imminent amalgamation of Peel police with the larger district by a number of residents including Mandurah MLA David Templeman.
When contacted by the Mandurah Mail on Monday about the issue Mr Templeman was unaware of any upcoming changes.
By Tuesday he received confirmation of the merger, which will necessitate the closure of the Peel District Office, during a Budget Estimates hearing.
Yesterday he slammed the move which he said would be a “disaster for the Peel region and the Mandurah community”.
“This decision is another nail in the coffin for Mandurah as a regional city and for the Peel region,” he said.
“Mandurah and the Peel police district has unacceptably high levels of burglary, violence and constant hoon activity,
“We simply need more officers assigned and based here, not taken away and centralised in Perth and made available when things get out of control.”
Police Minister Liza Harvey declined to comment on the issue, citing it as an operational matter, but she did tell Parliament additional resources would be added so the model could run effectively.
“We know that with the demand for services and attendance from police in [the Mandurah] district, they have been struggling over time,” she said.
“We think this new model will help us reduce demand as it has done in South East Metro.”
But Opposition Police Minister Michelle Roberts said the model would disadvantage the people of Mandurah and the Peel because resources would be centralised and it would take more time to deploy resources when extra support was required.
Our police officers are continually being asked to do more with less.
- Michelle Roberts
“Our police officers are continually being asked to do more with less,” she said.
“My worry is that response times will get worse and fewer criminals will be caught and punished.”
Early criticism has not fazed the Commissioner, however.
He said initial opposition from South East Metro residents had been quelled with a 13 per cent overall improvement in public satisfaction with police in the area.
“What people will see [in Mandurah] is a better response,” Mr O’Callaghan said.
“The idea is to get closer to the community.”
Mr O’Callaghan said community forums would be held in the coming months to keep local residents informed of the changes.
What do you think of the changes? Email editor.mandurahmail@fairfaxmedia.com.au