Jon Munday excited by new challenge after taking first superintendent role in Great Southern

After more than 30 years in the WA Police Force, Jon Munday has jumped into a new role as superintendent for the first time. Supt Munday started as the new superintendent of the Great Southern police district in January and has a strong crime background across various areas in regional WA. Supt Munday was promoted from Inspector of the Mid West region and takes the reins from Paul Coombes. Based in Albany, Supt Munday said this was the first time he had worked in the Great Southern but he was looking forward to the new role. “I joined (the police) in 1989 and I’ve spent 31 years in regional WA,” he said. “I love policing in regional WA, I’ve predominately served in the South West, Pilbara, Kimberley and Mid West. “I’m really privileged to be here, I love working and living in small communities, you are connected to the community and can see the results of what you do.” For more than two decades, Supt Munday has served as a police detective, heading up teams in Bunbury, Karratha and South Hedland. He also had a stint with the cold case homicide squad and more recently was officer-in-charge in Newman and Wickham. Supt Munday said having a strong police presence in the community was the key to good policing. “My main goal is to make the Great Southern and all the communities in this area feel safe and secure,” Supt Munday said. “Making sure our stations are fully staffed, our officers are competent and trained and high visibility policing so we can be there when people need us. “It’s all about making the community feel safe whether that is responding to crime, locking people up that have been committing crime or visible deterrence. “We don’t want people in the community (in a situation where) their only interaction with police is when something bad happens.” Supt Munday highlighted road crashes and family violence as major priorities in the Great Southern. “With the popularity of the Great Southern and the volume of traffic on the road, we do have our fair share of serious crashes and fatal crashes unfortunately,” he said. “This goes back to high visibility police presence on our highways. “Distracted drivers, mobile phones, inattention and speed — they are the causes of serious and fatal crashes so the traffic office here in Albany and the outstation staff that focus on road policing, that’s what they are focusing on. Supt Munday said family violence was another area of focus with the Great Southern having its “fair share” of what is a “big issue across the State”.