26 October 2016

, Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management

DPFEM Annual Report confirms police numbers up

The Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management Annual Report for 2015-16 confirms the Hodgman Government’s commitment to rebuilding the police service to 1223 FTEs by March 2018.

The Report confirms an additional 44 recruits have graduated over the 2015-16 period from two recruit courses and an accelerated training program. 

Before the last election, the Hodgman Liberal team pledged to restore police numbers after the Labor-Green Government callously axed more than 100 officers from the police service.

These numbers are confirmation that we are delivering on that promise, and with another three courses set to commence between now and the end of 2017, the Academy will continue to be a very busy place for the near future.

The report also confirms that the number of total offences for the reporting period has decreased by 10 per cent, which is a great testament to the fantastic work Tasmania Police do every day in the community. 

Other major initiatives funded by the Tasmanian Government include:

• An additional five police officers for the Safe Families Coordination Unit, established under key action item one of the Tasmanian Government Safe Homes, Safe Families Tasmania’s Family Violence Action Plan 2015-2020.
• Continued implementation of the Large Vessel Replacement Project, with the PV Cape Wickham expected to be commissioned by 30 June 2017.
• Ongoing commitment to the Emergency Services Computer Aided Dispatch (ESCAD) Project to provide a contemporary integrated Computer Aided Dispatch system for Ambulance Tasmania, TFS, Tasmania Police and SES, which is anticipated to be implemented by October 2017.
• Funding of $2 million over two years to address police housing issues primarily on the West Coast of Tasmania.

Fixing the budget has allowed us to reinvest the dividends into essential frontline services, and the government’s commitment to increased police numbers is resulting in greater police morale and increased community safety.

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