Survey shows local police cop it sweet

Great Southern police are the most satisfied with their jobs in the State, according to a WA Police Union survey into service and standards in the force.

The release of the survey of about 2500 metropolitan and regional officers found police in the Great Southern rated the service they provided to the community as the highest across WA, with a positive rating of 92.5 per cent.

The rating exceeded every other regional police district, with the Wheatbelt (77.5 per cent), South West (75.8) and Pilbara (67.7) receiving the next highest ratings.

Overall, regional WA received a positive rating of 73.6 per cent, in contrast to the metropolitan negative rating of 64.5 per cent, with many officers critical of the current policing operating model. Almost two- thirds called for changes to the model or for it to be scrapped.

To go with the positive regional rating, 68 per cent of respondents believed their standard of service had not changed in the past three years.

Great Southern police district Acting Superintendent Mark Twamley said officers in the region had a great sense of job satisfaction and were determined to maintain their high level of service.

“It is always very pleasing to see results such as this that demonstrate the high standard of policing services to the Great Southern community,” he said.

“It never ceases to amaze me the level of community spirit throughout the Great Southern and I know that it gives my officers a deep sense of job satisfaction when they can go about their duties knowing that they have the majority support of the local population and that there are always local people ready to help should they be called upon.”

WA Police Union president George Tilbury said it was no surprise that members in regional WA gave their level of service a higher rating than their metropolitan colleagues as the regional operating model had remained largely unchanged since the inception of Frontline 2020.

“Members are enjoying working in regional WA and a number said they would likely not return to the metropolitan area until the operating model was changed,” he said.

“There is no doubt that some stations in regional WA need additional staff and resources. We have raised this issue with WA Police recently.”