Police numbers based on population data

WA Police have rejected claims of staff shortages and slow response times to incidents in Broome as a result of a recent increased presence at James Price Point.

Broome local Scott Wallace wrote to the Advertiser this week expressing concern over a number of criminal incidences in Broome, which he said were responded to too slowly or not at all.

Some of the incidences included break-ins on his Cable Beach Street. He said a common thread was “police could not respond because of low numbers”.

Mr Wallace said he had been told by a local policeman police were staffed by populations determined by the last Census, which was around 14,700.

His said while police seemed thin on the ground in Broome dealing with such incidents, his main concern was a significant influx of police into Broome to control a recent protest of the proposed gas hub at James Price Point.

Kimberley District Office acting superintendent Jim Cave said Broome police were not experiencing a shortage, in fact, on July 1, two extra constable positions were allocated to the station to help with frontline policing.

“Local policing was not affected because of the James Price Point protest,” Acting Supt. Cave said.

“The operation at James Price Point has been managed from the command centre in Broome, due to unlawful activity of some protestors, it was necessary to bolster our local capacity to respond.

“The influx of staff ensure Broome police were able to manage ongoing policing within their own sub district.”

Acting Supt. Cave said police were rostered in line with an analysis of the town’s peak periods.