Kylie Bryant with her dog Lucy and Maylands MLA Lisa Baker.
Camera IconKylie Bryant with her dog Lucy and Maylands MLA Lisa Baker. Credit: Supplied/Marcus Whisson

Dispute over rising crime

Lauren Pilat, Eastern ReporterEastern Reporter

The mother of two has has lived in Maylands for eight years.

She said despite some local improvements and loving the community, the three home break-ins ” two in the past 18 months and as many car break-ins (one earlier this month) ” was disappointing.

‘Crime has definitely increased in the last eight years,’ Mrs Bryant said.

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‘Not only have we been affected more, I now see more antisocial behaviour and drug dealing around our home almost daily.

‘We often pick up empty alcohol bottles and cans from our verge and sometimes the odd syringe in the warmer weather.’

Maylands MLA Lisa Baker is calling on the State Government to permanently replace 10 officers pulled from the Bayswater police station after the State election.

She said the area’s crime levels spiked during warmer months, but recent incidents had highlighted the need for a greater police presence on local streets all year round.

‘Last summer, WA Police had an additional 10 officers working from Bayswater Police Station,’ she said.

Ms Baker said the police station was under threat of government closure last year.

‘I worked hard to get Minister for Police Liza Harvey to promise to keep the station open, but so far she has refused to guarantee that it will remain open after this year,’ she said.

However, Acting Police Minister John Day guaranteed the station would remain open, claiming Ms Baker’s statements were ‘irresponsible scaremongering’.

‘It is the role of the police commissioner to determine operational policing needs for particular areas, including Maylands,’ he said.

‘The Liberal National Government is committed to recruiting an additional 550 officers over the next four years, which will mean more police on the beat than ever before.’

Bayswater Police Station officer-in-charge Paul Barfoot said if a need for more police officers was identified again then the station would receive the additional 10 officers during the summer months.

‘Most crime in Maylands is opportunist and it is no different from other areas in our district,’ he said.

‘There has been a small and steady crime increase, but there has also been an increase in population growth which is relatable.

‘Maylands is not a dangerous place and has no specific crime issues.’

Senior Sergeant Barfoot said Maylands was served well with local police assisted by the traffic branch, dog squad, tactical response group, regional operations group, and the mounted police ” all located in the Bayswater area.