THE rapid growth of the north-west metropolitan area is the biggest issue facing local police, according to newly-appointed superintendent Charlie Carver.
And he says vigilance will be the key for residents, as home buyers continue to flock to the region.
The State Government released figures last week predicting a population explosion in Perth over the next 14 years.
The City of Wanneroo is expected to grow more than any other area of Perth, with a population increase of 128,000 people from 2010 to 2026.
Comparatively, the City of Joondalup was only expected to grow by about 24,000 people.
Supt Carver said Wanneroo was “up there with the fastest growing cities in Australia”.
“We have a massive influx of people coming into the district who are building houses at a rate of knots,” he said.
“Keeping pace with that growth will be the biggest challenge.”
He said the major police issue for the City of Joondalup would be the expansion of the CBD.
“The CBD will only continue to get more and more patronage, which then makes it harder for the resources, but we’re aware of it and getting on top of those issues as we go,” he said.
“It’s not just the police’s job to get on top of it, it involves everybody and if people can help themselves by being vigilant, it certainly makes our job a lot easier.”
But he said current staffing levels were not a concern.
“Suffice to say, I’ve got enough staff to handle what we need to handle here,” he said.
“Police resourcing is always talked about, however, if you know your issues and you’re on top of those issues and you’ve got fantastic police officers like we have, then staffing numbers are just something that ebbs and flows.”