Square Bear
On the evidence, whilst the Police Service are structured as they are at the moment, they are not competent to run EITHER rotary or fixed wing in the required role.
They have come from completely the wrong direction and have been led up the garden path by well meaning 'amateurs', notwithstanding that the 'amateurs' may hold "professional" qualifications.
Throw in the usual political train smash from both sides and why are we surprised at the events. I am only surprised it hasn't happened sooner.
They only got out of the helo accident relatively unscathed by good luck rather than good judgement.
Then they turned the insurance money from a helo that they could afford and did a real job for them, into one they couldn't and doesn't.
They need to get their "colleagues" from Vic, NT and QLD to come over and give em a good talking to, on how it really actually works.
Problem is, they are so used to telling everybody else what to do, they have forgotten that they don't know everything.
Unless I'm mistaken, the attitude that seems to prevail and prevents them going forward on this, is that you are either a member or a suspect.
We have the biggest, least populated, most difficult to police State in Australia and we are stuffing around with a C182 and a couple of clapped out old piston twins.
There is
much sense in what
shipreck proposes, especially in relocating the helo ops to Maylands and there is absolutely no doubt that the fixed wing ops are better and more conveniently located at Perth Airport.
They need at the very least,
New or very near so, crewed by experienced and professional pilots, they can make em coppers if they want.
A Dauphin type for the heavy and longer range work.
A couple of Squirrels for rapid response around the metro area and out to around a 150nm radius.
With more than one helo around there is a reasonable chance that there will be one available when you really need it.
The helos IMHO need to have the starflex rotor technology or something equally advanced.
A Citation Bravo for the longer distance liaison, whilst they wait for an Excel and a Sovereign and
A Citation or Citationjet 2 for the closer in stuff.
Four Cessna 208s, one in Perth and the rest rotated out at say Kal, Hedland and Broome.
Anything less and they simply can't do the job that they are expected to do with the manpower available.
Simply from a duty of care perspective having officers thrashing around the countryside in cars at high speed by road or trekking through the bush in a 'cruiser for 14 days to check on a couple of communities just doesn't cut it.
And what are they going to do if they have to respond to an "emergency" or "disturbance" in the country or NW, wait for the RPT??
Give 'em a break.
That is where the Multanova revenue raisings should go, then they can give away the bulls hit justification they keep serving us up, about road safety.