Family violence and theft a focus for South West police in 2022

After a busy end to the year, the region’s top cop has urged the community to band together and help police end domestic violence in the South West in 2022. Superintendent Geoff Stewart said violence in the home was his major focus for the year, along with theft and road trauma, as he vows to never relent on creating a safe place for locals. The promise comes on the back of a downward trend in non-violent crime rates throughout 2021 which saw an 11 per cent decrease in burglaries, however the financial year saw an increase in assaults for the region of 14 per cent. “In the South West district we’ve been enhancing our police model around family violence by providing more people and working even closer with our partner agencies, the Department of Health and Waratah, which has started to see a positive influence on family violence,” Supt Stewart said. “Having said that, family violence is one of my main concerns and it’s something we’re really intent on working with other agencies and the community in looking after victims ... it happens all too frequently. “The message I have is if you’re a victim or know someone you believe is a victim, reach out ... it’s the same with perpetrators as well, if you think you have a problem you need to do something about it. “It’s best to overreact than underreact and someone gets hurt or loses their lives.” The Waratah Support Centre provides free, specialised intervention services for those in the South West who have experienced sexual assault, abuse, or family domestic violence. The centre, WA Police and Department of Health created the Family and Domestic Violence Coordinated Response Service which jointly triages domestic violence reports to develop appropriate responses for families and individuals in need. In addition to a family and domestic violence focus, the rise in petty and preventable theft will also be a focus for the region’s cops with Supt Stewart reminding those seeking a five-finger discount there are always cameras watching. “People seem to think there’s nothing wrong with going into a store, filling up their trolley with not only food but other items, and just walking out without paying for it,” he said. “It’s becoming a bit too frequent in the region so it’s something we’ll be working with the business community to address even harder. “People need to understand there’s virtually CCTV in every single shop now days so we’re catching people not just based on a report but images and it can be quite embarrassing for people. “Our warning to those people is if it’s not yours, don’t take it, or you’ll face the consequences.”