Female cops 'stalked' in Northbridge
Female officers at the new Perth police complex say a lack of onsite parking has left them vulnerable to attack when walking to and from their vehicles.
Concerned officers said they had been stalked by groups and individuals, including offenders processed during their shift, outside the 24-hour Northbridge station.
One officer said she had a dead owl thrown at her while another told of a colleague who was followed by a man later found to be carrying knives.
An auxiliary officer, who wished to remain anonymous, said a man arrested twice during her shift tried to forcefully enter the vehicle she and a younger female officer had sought refuge in.
“It was very, very unnerving,” the officer said. “(The younger officer) was particularly upset.”
WA Police Union vice-president Brandon Shortland said safety concerns were raised during the planning phase of the $93 million complex, which opened in July last year.
A spokeswoman for Commissioner Karl O’Callaghan said officers working in CBD buildings have never had private parking allocated to them because of space restrictions and cost.
The worried Perth officers said many park up to 1km away to avoid high fees and walk to their cars at the end of a night shift.
WA Police and the union last year met with the City of Perth, which has two car parks within 460m of the complex, to establish a discounted parking arrangement but a deal couldn’t be reached.
The City of Fremantle offers subsidised parking for local police, with officers only paying $1.66 per shift.
The spokeswoman for Mr O’Callaghan said the issue of officer’s personal safety had been raised regularly by team leaders at the complex.
Officers can request to be accompanied to their vehicle if they feel at risk.
