Mid West-Gascoyne police officers subjected to 55 per cent increase in assaults in 2021-22 year

Assaults on Mid West-Gascoyne police officers jumped by a startling 55 per cent over the past year, according to new data from the WA Police Force. But one of the region’s top cops says the reality is less shocking. In 2021-22, there were 1210 assaults on WA police officers, with the Wheatbelt region experiencing the largest increase of 58.8 per cent, closely followed by the Mid West-Gascoyne at 55.7 per cent. The news comes after more than 60 police officers across WA quit in June — almost twice the normal monthly rate. The departures continue at an alarming pace with more resignations in the first five months of this year than in the entirety of 2021. Mid-West Gascoyne District Acting Inspector Jon Munday said a significant drop in offences during the 2020-21 year inflated the increase compared to recent years. “That’s because half of 2020, from early June onwards was the depths of COVID, we had lockdowns and all that sort of stuff,” he said. Mr Munday nevertheless stressed the seriousness of the offending. “When I say public officers, I’m talking about nurses, doctors, taxi drivers and bus drivers, not just police,” he said. “They’re all terrible offences, people go to work to try and help the community and they don’t expect to be assaulted for doing that job.” While he acknowledged the unique nature of police work, he said this was not an excuse to be treated like punching bags “We expect that people realise that when they do assault a public officer that they will be dealt with firmly by us where the evidence is there, they will be charged and we would expect the court support us on that,” Insp. Munday said. “For this year, 94.7 per cent of all of those offences have what we call a positive sanction. So essentially, an offender has been identified and been dealt with in one way or another.” WA Police Union president Mick Kelly said a recent member survey found the level of morale in WA Police Force was at an all-time low, while violent crime in WA is at an all-time high. “While the McGowan Government is bashing our understaffed, underpaid and undervalued members metaphorically, refusing to acknowledge their concerns, let alone alleviate their remuneration, resources and respite issues, a section of the public is bashing them literally, assaulting them while they’re doing their jobs,” he said. “In 2021-22, there were 1210 assaults on WA police officers. That was 1210 too many. We’re calling for tougher penalties for people who assault our members.” He said the rate of assaults on police officers had increased 8.7 per cent this year, the fifth annual increase, and reached a 10-year peak. Attacks on cops went up this year in nine out of the force’s 15 districts. Assaults on public officers causing injury carries a mandatory penalty of at least six months behind bars.