TEN per cent of police cars are set to be pulled from Perth streets

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TEN per cent of police cars are set to be pulled from Perth streets under a State Government plan to save up to $42.2 million over four years.

The fleet reduction strategy, announced on Sunday, included plans to cut the Government fleet by 10 per cent, or about 140 vehicles.

But Opposition police spokeswoman Margaret Quirk said the cuts were putting the public at risk.

"Cars are not a luxury item when it comes to policing – they are the frontline equipment in the battle against crime," Ms Quirk said.

"This decision will result in longer response times to crimes and will place a further strain on limited police resources."

The scheme is set to begin immediately, and cars will be sold through the weekly Government auction process once their current lease is up.

RAC spokesman Matt Brown slammed the move, saying having police cars on the road was an essential part of the state's road safety strategy.

“The community demands an assurance from the government that there will be no cuts in the number of police vehicles patrolling our metropolitan and country roads,” Mr Brown said.

“The savings being proposed in cutting the number of police vehicles are illusory at best.

“The cuts to the total government fleet are expected to deliver savings of around $40 million over 4 years – or an average of $10 million a year.

“But the government has estimated that every road death in Western Australia costs the economy $1.8 million, while serious injuries cost the economy an average of $488,000 each.

“The government’s proposed savings would be wiped out if there are an additional three deaths and nine serious injuries on our road.

“It’s a completely false economy and reflects the failed short term thinking which has consistently undermined our efforts to reduce our road toll and has seen Western Australia maintain the worst road safety record of any State.

“The government needs to explain how it will meet the cut in vehicle numbers while maintaining these essential frontline services.”

Treasurer Troy Buswell said the fleet reduction strategy was part of the $1.1 billion of savings measures over four years identified in the first stage of the Economic Audit.

The total Government fleet is made up of 11,772 cars, with 1165 of them to be cut by 2012.

my comment...What a stupid idea !!! more police cars on the road reduces the crime rate etc.