WA Premier Roger Cook at the SOCC opening. Photo: Roger Cook Facebook.
The new Western Australia Police Force State Operations Command Centre (SOCC) has been opened by WA Premier Roger Cook.
Located in the Perth CBD, the new SOCC will provide enhanced management, tactical intelligence and technical capability to support police and agency staff throughout the state. The hub combines the services and resources of the former SOCC and Police Operations Centre into one high-tech, purpose-built facility.
The facility also has Department of Justice, Department of Communities and Department of Education personnel based there, along with Mental Health Co-Response staff.
During the SOCC’s design phase, the WA Police Force benchmarked other technology and 24/7 operations centres management around the world to ensure the new facility met current and future technology-based policing needs.
Custom-designed video walls can display live feeds from the Police Air Wing, officers’ body-worn cameras, security camera footage, and automatic numberplate recognition alerts, among other things, to enhance real-time decision-making.
The SOCC’s technical and network design includes more than 50 kilometres of data cable, 200 power circuits, 13 km of power cable, more than half a dozen switchboards and two kilometres of fibre-optic cable.
Premier Cook said the new SOCC would help keep the WA public and police officers safe today and into the future.
“As a technologically advanced facility, it complements current WA Police assets and is designed to be able to seamlessly integrate advancements in equipment and software,” he said.
“This modern, multi-agency approach to policing and other emergencies is of significant benefit and will provide improved outcomes for all Western Australians.”
Police Minister Paul Papalia said: “The State Operations Command Centre, in conjunction with other new high-tech assets like the Airbus H145 helicopters, body-worn cameras and vehicle dash-cams, provide the WA Police Force with better situational awareness than ever before.
“The high-tech facility improves real-time data sharing from the front line and other agency partners, giving officers vital information when responding to emergencies across WA.
“This will be further enhanced when our statewide satellite communications rollout is complete, providing 550 vehicles and 129 police stations in regional or remote parts of WA with metropolitan-equivalent connectivity.”
Police Commissioner Col Blanch thanked the WA community for its support, his officers and staff for their dedication, and the agency for its willingness to adopt innovative techniques and technology.
“The new SOCC is a critical part of the technological revolution that is making policing better, and I thank the State Government for their investment in making WA an ever-safer place to live,” he said.
“Not only will it make our community safer, it will make police officers protecting our community safer.
“The multi-agency nature of the new SOCC means the right agency is right there responding to a situation. Because our partners are right there with us, we will have even more chances to cooperate and ensure the most appropriate care is provided to members of our community.
“I would like to thank the State Government for their support, Telstra for their ongoing support, and all our partner agencies and stakeholders who are joining us in the new SOCC to make our community a safer place to live and work.”
