Mark Mitchell: Police Minister on the police officer training target

The Police Minister is adamant his government will deliver on its promise of 500 new cops by the end of next year. 

New police commissioner Richard Chambers warned yesterday they're unlikely to meet those numbers until 2026. 

But Minister Mark Mitchell told Mike Hosking they're going to get as close to the target as they can. 

He says that they’re not dropping standards, and though they always knew the target of 10,711 officers trained by November 2025 was ambitious, they remain committed to it.  

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Scrutiny week at Parliament's tossed up some interesting material, hasn't it,
some of which popped up yesterday around policing and crime.
Government's promise of five hundred year police officers within two
years might be an issue. Our prison might be full,
as it turns out, as soon as due next year.
Both issues fall under the watchful, of course, of the
Police and Corrections Minister. Who is Mark Mitchell's well this
morning to you?

Speaker 2 (00:18):
Hey, good morning, Mike.

Speaker 1 (00:19):
Did Chambers drop you in it?

Speaker 2 (00:22):
No? No, not at all. No, he was one hundred
percent right what he said is that number one I've
been very hot on as well. We're definitely not dropping
standards and fit quite the opposite. The curriculum at the
Police College went from sixteen weeks to twenty weeks for
more training. We remain committed to that target of ten

(00:42):
seven hundred eleven police officers trained by November twenty twenty five.
But of course we knew that was always going to
be ambitious, but we remain committed to it. We'll get
as close to it as we can.

Speaker 1 (00:53):
As you sit here this morning. Is he right in
saying what he said yesterday? It's probably twenty twenty six.

Speaker 2 (01:00):
No, what they are talking about there is the funding,
so you've got to have funding in place. The funding
is the appropriation goes through to June twenty twenty sixth.
That's what they were talking about. Everyone is absolutely committed
and still focused on delivering by twenty seventh in November
twenty twenty five. We know that it's aspirational, we know

(01:21):
it'll be tight, but we committed to it. All the
briefings that I've had in Casey and the only reason
why Casey's talking to it, it's her delegation under the
portfolio is everyone is committed to it.

Speaker 1 (01:33):
Well, they're committed to it. But do you need more money?
And if you need more money, will more money be
coming or No.

Speaker 2 (01:38):
No, we don't need more money. All the money is there.
The money is there. We're just getting on with it.
And by the way, we've got a very strong pipeline
of police officers, apply of people pipeline. No, there's a
strong pipeline there. And all the advice that we've had
is that we're on track. We know that it was.

Speaker 1 (01:57):
No.

Speaker 2 (01:58):
No, he's not wrong, he's one hundred percent.

Speaker 1 (01:59):
Right, really right in you you're on tracking you're not
on track. Which is it? You're other on tracking, you're
not mark.

Speaker 2 (02:06):
Well, we are on track, the police are on track.
That's the briefings of the information that we've had. And
I think what the Commissioner was saying, I agree with them,
is that it's ambitious. We're not dropping standards. Absolutely, we're
not going to be doing that.

Speaker 1 (02:18):
I get that you don't want to drop standards. But
when he says it's most likely to be the middle
of twenty six, if he's right in saying that, that's
a broken promise, isn't it.

Speaker 2 (02:27):
I think that he was talking about the funding runs
through June twenty six.

Speaker 1 (02:31):
All right, so you said here confidently this morning is
my Christmas present to the z B listeners. You will deliver.
I have promised five hundred by the end of next year.

Speaker 2 (02:39):
That is what our target is. That's what we're working towards,
and we remain focused on that. We're committed to that.

Speaker 1 (02:45):
Okay. The thing is, there was a best and worst scenario.
You do we know which one it's going to be,
And if it's the worst, is that a problem?

Speaker 2 (02:55):
No? No, there's going to be plenty capacity in in
our correction system. They've done an outstanding job. They're bringing
more beds online. We've got I was down at Wykiria
last week. We're bringing six hundred and fifty more beds
online down there, and we turned the side for the
for the next stage of the project, which will do
a further eight hundred and ten days. So no, we
will on. Well, we've got plenty of capacity. Corrections have

(03:18):
been doing an outstanding job. They're above the rate of attrition.
Now we've got lots of new Chrestians officers coming in.
We're actually in pretty good shape.

Speaker 1 (03:24):
You're not giving us any flannel for Christmas? Here are you? Mark?
For goodness? Say you're not gilding the lily? Here are you?

Speaker 2 (03:31):
No, not at all, But talking about Christmas, I actually
wanted to get you a gift, Mike. I've been on
the show for six years. Yes, I love being on
the show. Thank you for having me on again this year.
But what do you get a guy that's got everything?
And I thought, well, I said to Sarah what we
get Mike? She said, well, you know what about chemo
golf balls. I don't think he's a golf player. And
if you've got Camo golf balls, you're going to lose

(03:53):
it every time. No one's going to know you played
a crap shot. So I thought, yeah, that's a good
present of someone that's got everything. But listen, Mike, can
I just say thank you to all the listeners that
tune in for Politics Wednesday. It's been a huge door
opener for me around the country because of that common link.
And what's really been what's really been noticeable for me

(04:13):
this year is with my emergency management role, is that
I've been to eight local states for emergency and it's
been a huge door opener of the air for me.
And there's already some sort of trust that's been established
because they feel like they know me through through the show.
So I just wanted to say thank you, thank you
to see them and Glenn wishing you guys are really
merry Christmas. And to all the listeners that tune in

(04:36):
to the show, but also to Politics Wednesday and Wednesday.

Speaker 1 (04:39):
Good on you mate, well done and you go well,
we'll catch up with you next year. And does same
to you of course, make Mitchell Minister of Police and Corrections.

Speaker 2 (04:46):
For more from the Mike Asking Breakfast listen live to
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