A boots on the ground response to record crime rates in WA’s regions has been criticised by the opposition who warn that kids and the public are at risk.

The State Government today announced that it will inject $24.2M to increase police presence across 20 locations in the Kimberley, Pilbara, Mid West-Gascoyne, Wheatbelt and Goldfields-Esperance to reduce youth crime.

The funding will allow the continuation of Operation Regional Shield for another two years after it began in 2022 to deal with youth crime in the Kimberly, WA Police Minister Reece Whitby said.

“Operation Regional Shield provides additional police resources to the regions through rotational deployments to support local policing operations and targeted enforcement activity, and when deployed, the purpose of the additional resources is to enhance the capability to respond to, and deter, criminal activity and antisocial behaviour,” Mr Whitby said.

However, since Operation Shield launched in 2022, crime rates have increased to record numbers, according to WA Police crime statistics.

Meanwhile, Opposition spokesman Neil Thomson says local communities are frustrated with rising crime and that while an extra police presence is welcome – it is not a long term solution.

“It’s only a matter of time, in my view, before we’re going to see some young people killed, or some innocent bystander killed,” Mr Thomson said.

“That’s going to be a terrible situation for everybody in the community”.

In parliament, youth crime, particularly in regional areas, is frequently debated, with Nationals MP Mia Davies saying that police cannot be a be-all and end-all solution to youth crime.

“Quite often, the police feel like they are supposed to be the solution to everything that happens in our communities because they are present 24/7,” Ms Davies said during Parliament in 2024.

Shadow Police Minister Adam Hort says more consistent funding is needed to combat record crimes rates in regional communities.

“Regional crime is the worst level ever recorded, yet this Budget failed to deliver a single serious measure to recruit or retain police officers in the regions,” Mr Hort said.

Mr Thomson says any approach must be community centred.

“I know the police try to do their best, but ultimately it comes back to working with, those families where there’s dysfunction,” Mr Thomson said.

“The Department of Communities would need to have a lot of intensive, support, to ensure that these kids get some sort of opportunity in the future.”