Police Commissioner Chris Dawson has announced a shake-up of how the WA Police Force is organised across the state, including the creation of a new Mandurah police district.
Commissioner Dawson conducted a seven week organisational review of police and announced a number of changes on Monday after consulting policing staff and frontline officers.
He said the review was intended to shine a light on the state of the organisation to reshape the direction of the force for the next five years.
The existing metropolitan police districts, which include Mandurah and the Peel region into the South Metropolitan policing region, would be replaced by eight new districts named after major population areas.
The new districts would be named Perth, Midland, Mirrabooka, Joondalup, Armadale, Cannington, Fremantle and Mandurah and would each be run by a superintendent and three inspectors.
“While there has been extensive planning and implementation over the past few years of the Metropolitan Operating Model, the extension from four to eight districts will provide locally focused management across the extensive metropolitan area,” Commissioner Dawson said.
“Importantly, officers will be deployed from a centralised State Operations Centre which will have enhanced coordination and greater control over resources.”
In 2014 former Commissioner Karl O’Callaghan abolished the Peel Police District, instead incorporating it into the South Metropolitan Region.
The changes would take place over the next six months, Commissioner Dawson said.
Nathan Hondros
Senior Journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, and Fairfax Media.
Senior Journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, and Fairfax Media.
