Wheatbelt police will soon be supplied with stab proof ballistic vests, according to the WA Police Union.
The union said it recently received a written commitment from the State Government and WA Police to supply its members with the vests.
President George Tilbury described the commitment as a massive win for police officers which would improve their safety on the frontline.
“We are very pleased that the Government and WA Police agree the safety of police officers in this current environment is of paramount importance,” Mr Tilbury said.
“We launched our campaign last month because we wanted to improve the pay and working conditions of our Members and this first victory will significantly improve officer safety.”
Mr Tilbury said the union will now work with WA Police to ensure that the best possible body armour is selected, taking into account the conditions police officers face across the State.
“One of the challenges we now face is finding a piece of equipment which is suitable for use not only in the metropolitan area, but in the regions,” he said.
“We will consult with other police unions across the country and internationally to get feedback on their current issue body armour to find the best option.”
Mr Tilbury said while he was grateful the government had committed to body armour for police officers, there was still two outstanding matters which needed to be addressed.
“Our campaign will continue until the government commits to an additional 500 police officers over this term and provides our Members with a fair and reasonable pay offer,” he said.
“We are prepared to fight tooth and nail to get a commitment on these two items from the McGowan Government.
Hopefully, we do not have to escalate our campaign further, but we are prepared to do so if the Government does not want to come to the party.”
