Minister to attend forum on crime

Police Minister Liza Harvey has been urged to bring “real, effective solutions to the ever-growing” crime issues when she attends a community forum in Geraldton this week.

Mrs Harvey and WA Police Acting Assistant Commissioner (Regional WA) Murray Smalpage will speak at Thursday night’s forum, organised by Geraldton MLA Ian Blayney.

Mrs Harvey said the aim of the forum was to discuss crime and policing issues in the region.

But Geraldton Residents Demand our Streets Back leader Michele McLean said she hoped the forum would not be “just another show-and-tell of the (WA Police Frontline) 2020 program”.

Frontline 2020, according to the WA Police website, is a major reform program, which looks at how police can “best deal with increasing demands in a climate of finite resources”.

“I hope and challenge Mrs Harvey to please bring some real, effective solutions to the ever-growing issues within the Geraldton community, which are evident in the WAPOL crime statistics, not just past year but for the past several years, ” Ms McLean said.

“The increase in high-scaled drugs (meth) is becoming an Australia-wide issue and of great concern to the Geraldton community.”

The forum will be held at the Posh Function Room, 218 Marine Terrace, from 6pm to 7.30pm.