WA Police Union

Recognising extraordinary courage 🏅

The 2026 WA Bravery Awards recognised Western Australians who have demonstrated extraordinary courage, selflessness and commitment to protecting others.

Among those honoured were police officers who put themselves in harm’s way in the course of their duties, showing courage in some incredibly challenging and dangerous circumstances.

These awards are a powerful reminder of the bravery that exists within our police family and the risks our officers can face while keeping our community safe.

A special congratulations also goes to Senior Constable Matt Gren, who is currently a member of the WAPU Governing Board, and his colleagues who were recognised with a Group Bravery Citation for their actions during the 2012 Marmion Armed Robbery Series.

To all of today’s recipients, congratulations on this well-deserved recognition.

Your courage, dedication and willingness to put others before yourselves is something our entire community can be proud of. 👏

https://youtu.be/kS5rOlDAZ-8?si=KTdawTzfHU0mkHa1

Every day, our officers step up to support and protect communities across Western Australia. Whether they're responding in times of crisis, helping someone on their worst day, or simply taking the time to make a positive difference, their commitment does not go unnoticed.

👇 Tell us what you appreciate most about WA Police officers by voting with an emoji!

If you serve/served as a police officer, tell us what you appreciate most about the job.

💙 Their dedication to serving the community
👏 Their professionalism under pressure
🤝 Their compassion and care for others
🛡️ Their courage to step forward when needed
😊 Their positive impact on local communities
📣all of the above

💬 Drop your emoji in the comments and tell us about a positive experience you've had with a police officer.

If you liked this conversation, give us a like.

Another day, another important conversation.

WAPU representative Simone Taplin spoke with 6PR about the significant pay rise for WA Police Assistant Commissioners, which takes their salaries above $300,000.

The increase is 19.75%, bringing their total pay increase to more than 28% since 2024.

The question is simple: if the role of senior police leadership has changed significantly, haven’t the roles and responsibilities of frontline police officers changed too?

Our Members are dealing with increasing demands, growing risks and a challenging policing environment every day.

They deserve to see that recognised too.
🎧 Listen to Simone’s interview with 6PR below.
https://omny.fm/shows/6pr-mornings/significant-pay-rise-sees-western-australian-police-assistant-commissioner-salaries-exceed-300-000

Significant pay rise sees Western Australian police assistant commissioner salaries exceed $300,000 - Mornings with Simon Beaumont

If you missed the media coverage over the weekend, we've made it easy to catch up.

Our WAPU representative Simone Taplin spoke across television and radio about the challenges facing WA Police, including officer safety, police resourcing and the recent ankle monitor incidents.

Take a few minutes to listen to the interviews and hear the issues we're continuing to raise on behalf of our members.

🎙️ Visit our Media page to listen to all the latest coverage.
🔗https://okt.to/DFsv0b

Happy International Day of Friendship! 💙💚

Some friendships are built over coffee breaks. Others are forged through shared experiences, long shifts, challenges, celebrations and years of standing side by side.

Today, we're celebrating the friendships that make our policing family so special. From Service Recognition Dinners and member events to team catch-ups and everything in between, these moments remind us that the connections we build along the way often last a lifetime.

At WAPU, we're proud to support a community where friendships thrive, because a strong Union is built on people who look out for one another, both on and off the job.

To our members, thank you for your service, your camaraderie and the friendships that continue to strengthen our policing family.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗧𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗔 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆
- 300 resignations
- 87 medical retirements
- 4th highest attrition rate in 70 years
- 10.6% decline in police per capita
- Growing loss of workforce experience

These aren't just numbers.

They represent officers, families, careers and experience leaving the profession.

WA Police officers continue to show up every day to keep the community safe. They deserve a workforce strategy that not only attracts recruits but retains the experienced officers who are already serving.

Your wellbeing matters. If this conversation has raised any concerns for you, please don't go through it alone. Reach out to the WA Police Union for support, or contact Fortem Australia for confidential wellbeing services.

𝗡𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝟭 𝗜𝗻 𝟰 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀
New recruits are vital to the future of policing.

But when experienced officers leave faster than they can be replaced, the workforce becomes less experienced overall.

In 2018-19, Constables and Probationary Constables represented 14.2% of sworn officers. Today that figure is 23.2%.

This highlights the importance of retaining experienced officers who mentor, train and lead the next generation.

Your wellbeing matters. If this conversation has raised any concerns for you, please don't go through it alone. Reach out to the WA Police Union for support, or contact Fortem Australia for confidential wellbeing services.

𝟭𝟬.𝟲% 𝗙𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮
Western Australia's population continues to grow.

Yet the number of sworn police officers relative to the population has fallen by 10.6% since its peak in 1996-97 and remains below the level seen when the current Government was first elected.

As communities expand and demand grows, resourcing the police workforce remains a critical challenge.

Your wellbeing matters. If this conversation has raised any concerns for you, please don't go through it alone. Reach out to the WA Police Union for support, or contact Fortem Australia for confidential wellbeing services.

𝟰𝘁𝗵 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗜𝗻 𝟳𝟬 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀
The warning signs are impossible to ignore.

WA Police recorded an attrition rate of 6.97% in 2025-26, making it the fourth highest rate in the past 70 years.

While recruitment remains critical, retaining experienced officers must be an equal priority.

A sustainable police force needs both.

Your wellbeing matters. If this conversation has raised any concerns for you, please don't go through it alone. Reach out to the WA Police Union for support, or contact Fortem Australia for confidential wellbeing services.