• Regional cities and towns to benefit from boost in WA Police resources
• Additional assets delivered through ongoing Operation Regional Shield funding to help keep country communities safe
• Cook Government continues to invest in recruitment, equipment and technology to improve emergency response

As part of a summer crime strategy, Western Australian Police will be boosting operational resources right across country WA starting with Geraldton.

Additional police assets have been deployed as a pre-emptive measure throughout the busy holiday period.

The program is being delivered through Operation Regional Shield, a $23.4 million State-wide program enabling police to rapidly deploy extra police assets anywhere in the State.

It will see a surge in operational resources and police officer numbers throughout country WA to suppress and disrupt criminal offending and enhance public safety.

In addition to general duties officers, specialist police from Regional Operations Group, Tactical Response Group, Police Air Wing, Licensing Enforcement Division, Aboriginal Affairs Division, analysts and Canine Section may be positioned in regional centres to boost local crime fighting efforts.

The summer response supports local communities through high-visibility and covert policing, enabling enhanced deterrence and response to crime in regional areas.

In addition, 550 police vehicles and 129 police stations are being equipped with high-speed internet to enhance emergency communication in regional and remote locations. The rollout is a world-first initiative for law enforcement. 

As Western Australia's population continues to grow, so too does the WA Police Force. Last year, a record 783 police officers joined the Force - the highest number in the agency's 171-year history.

Comments attributed to Police Minister Paul Papalia:

"Operation Regional Shield enables rapid scale-up of police resources across the State and it has delivered great results since it was first established in 2022.

"This uplift in Regional Shield deployments will keep the community safe and help to apprehend offenders and bring them to justice.

"We know the summer months are extremely busy for our country communities and the Cook Government is committed to supporting our regional centres.

"We will continue to equip police officers with the best tools and technology to crackdown on criminals while WA Police recruit at record rates.  

"The WA Police Force has doubled its training capacity at the Joondalup Academy and recruitment is at an all-time high.

"There are now more police protecting Western Australia than ever before with over 7,100 officers located throughout the State.

"Just last week, another 75 police officers joined the frontline following their graduation."

Comments attributed to Geraldton MLA Lara Dalton:

"Our Geraldton Police do a fantastic job keeping the community safe, so it's wonderful to see their efforts boosted with even more officers and assets on the ground.

"Our small businesses will benefit from police being able to employ our new retail theft laws which remove the fine-only penalty and impose harsh new sentences for repeat offenders.

"In other regional centres like Broome, Operation Regional Shield has stopped kids roaming the streets at all hours and significantly reduced juvenile offending."