Liberals promising a boost to WA Police numbers

Press release:

A Liberal Government will recruit a total of 720 police officers over the next four years if re-elected.
Premier Colin Barnett said the 720 officers will include 550 additional officers as well as the 170 officers the Government will recruit by 2013-14.
This means continuing to provide WA Police with the resources they need to do their job and to meet the expectations of the community on policing.
Mr Barnett said a Liberal Government will commit $282million to recruit the 550 officers as well as to build the extra infrastructure to accommodate them.
The 550 officers will consist of:
• 200 detectives to be based at suburban stations
• 150 police auxiliary officers
• 50 officers for a new rapid response unit
south of the river
• 150 general purpose police officers
The 150 police auxiliary officers will be used to increase support at metropolitan stations, thereby reducing the administrative burden on police officers and increasing their capacity to patrol, respond and arrest.

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Everything Geraldton enquired regarding how many of these extra officers would be sent to Geraldton, and have yet to be given firm numbers.

This was the break down that was sent to us however.

There will be 50 new police officers allocated to ROG South in the metropolitan area. The remaining 670 (200 detectives, 150 auxiliaries and 150 general purpose officers) have been funded on a 75:25 split between metropolitan and regional WA.
This means 425 officers and auxiliaries (including ROG) will be available for metropolitan service and 125 will be deployed to regional areas.