WA � DISACCORDS

Hakea: Inmates threaten staff in riot at WA jail

Dec 14, 2017 – Perth prison staff have been threatened by inmates who destroyed property during an out-of-control rampage at Western Australia’s main remand facility.

Special operations group officers were called to Hakea Prison late on Wednesday when seven out-of-control inmates trashed part of a wing and made threats against staff.

No injuries have been reported and the Department of Justice will review the incident.

Secretary of the WA Prison Officers Union, John Welch, says the incident highlights the urgent need for the state government to fix “chronic overcrowding” in WA prisons.

Mr Welch said Hakea was about 300 prisoners above design capacity, with the majority of inmates double-bunked.

He said a new prison was desperately needed as WA’s adult prison population rapidly increased from 4964 to 6776 over the past five years, according to Department of Justice statistics.

“We understand and are sympathetic to (the government’s) financial plight but our members deserve to be working in a safe environment,” Mr Welch said.

The number of prisoners on remand has also skyrocketed, up from 1754 to 2002 in the past year.

Corrective Services Minister Fran Logan congratulated prison staff for handling the incident quickly and with minimal damage.

Damaged cells will be up and running tomorrow, a Department of Justice spokesperson said.

WA: Escapees from Greenough prison caught by police

22 Sept – Sadly two prisoners have been recaptured after escaping from a prison in Western Australia’s Mid West region and spending two days on the run.

Bryan Patric Symes, Robert James Flanagan and Lyle Brandon Ryan escaped from Greenough Regional prison about 9.30pm on Monday by scaling barbed wire fences, but Symes, 31, was recaptured hours later.

Flanagan, 25, and 20-year-old Ryan were recaptured on Wednesday, police said.

WA, Vic: escapes from immigration detention

29 December: Two Vietnamese detainees escaped from the Yongah Hills Immigration Detention Centre in Northam, 90 kilometres east of Perth, on Friday night.

One person was recaptured within 24 hours, but the other man remains on the run.

Four months ago, five men escaped from the same facility, sparking a search that lasted several days.

In November, two Vietnamese men escaped from the Maribyrnong Immigration Detention Centre in Melbourne’s west

WA: juveniles trash prison again

30 August: Juvenile detainees who trashed their cells at Hakea Prison for adults in Perth were encouraged by one youth who started the rampage, Corrective Services acting commissioner Heather Harker says.

A dozen teenage offenders were responsible for damage to 10 cells on Thursday night and have been moved to the management unit at Banksia Hill Detention Centre.

More than 70 juveniles were sent to Hakea Prison in January after nearly half the cells at Banksia Hill were trashed during a riot. There are currently 100 juveniles at Hakea and 60 at Banksia Hill.

Ms Harker said one boy caused a disturbance in his cell on Thursday at 7pm (WST) and then encouraged others to damage their cells too.

She said youths in both units were involved in the rampage that lasted about three hours. Damage was caused to shower screens, toilets and sinks, and shelves were also ripped off walls. Continue reading “WA: juveniles trash prison again”

WA: Government tries to tackle out of control parties

August 12: The West Australian government is to spend $1.2 million to double the size of the dog squad and is to introduce special riot buses as mobile jails for wild party guests.

Legislation is also being drafted that could give police the power to enter private properties where unruly parties are being held without obtaining a warrant.

The dog squad is to increase from nine to 18 but will not be available for another 12 months because of the training process.

Police Minister Liza Harvey said once the dogs were part of the policing process, they would make a significant difference. “They scare the living daylights out of people and allow the police to carrel the partygoers into particular areas so they can better manage the activities of those people who are out of control.” Continue reading “WA: Government tries to tackle out of control parties”

Broome: 600 people protest at police station as riot police come to town

May 13: MORE than 600 people have gathered outside Broome police station in the Kimberley in a showdown with authorities over a proposed gas hub.

An estimated 250 police with riot gear started arriving in the coastal town on Friday night in what residents say is a pre-emptive move to clear protesters from the controversial James Price Point gas hub site 60km north of town.

Residents said they feared police would move in as early as Monday morning to physically remove protesters from the Woodside Petroleum site, as a Wednesday deadline looms for a Broome Shire move-on notice to clear camps in the area.

“The community is feeling like they’re in lock-down here,” a Broome resident, who did not wish to be identified, told AAP today. Continue reading “Broome: 600 people protest at police station as riot police come to town”