Our Professional Standards portfolio proactively focuses on corruption prevention, quality internal investigations and best practice complaint management through Police Conduct Investigation Unit.

Police Conduct Investigation Unit records, assesses, allocates and monitors complaints or other incidents requiring internal investigation.

Managing our people

The WA Police Force developed the following programs and processes to assist with managing and developing police officers and employees.

WA Police Force Code of Conduct

Our Code of Conduct uses the WA Police Force values to guide and inform our employees regarding expected behaviour and actions, to help us achieve the WA Police Force Mission and Vision.

The Code of Conduct defines how WA Police Force employees should act on a day-to-day basis. The framework underpins our daily operations, expands on our core values and expresses our agency culture. 

The Code of Conduct is a key component in maintaining and building trust between the WA Police Force and the WA Community and it applies to all employees of the WA Police Force.

Additionally, the WA Police Force Code of Conduct assists all our business areas with identifying and treating corruption risks in their areas.

The Code of Conduct (PDF, 2MB) applies to persons employed under the Police Act 1892, persons employed by the Commissioner of Police under the Public Sector Management Act 1994 and other employees such as volunteers, suppliers, contractors and sub-contractors.

The Code of Conduct also complements the Western Australian Public Sector Code of Ethics which requires the development of, and compliance with, an agency specific code of conduct.

The Code of Conduct clearly spells out what is expected of all personnel of the WA Police Force and outlines the parameters that will enable each of us to exercise sound decision making and be exemplary in our conduct.

The Blueline

The Blueline is a confidential dedicated telephone line for WA Police Force personnel who are concerned about the unethical conduct of any WA Police Force employee.

Callers will be electronically offered the choice of direct communications or, if they desire, anonymous reporting. Information provided will be treated with the highest degree of confidentiality.

Supported Internal Witness Program

The Supported Internal Witness Program is available to WA Police Force personnel who report unethical conduct whether voluntary or under obligation in the course of an internal investigation.

The program is designed to offer support and practical assistance to counter the potential negative aspects of police culture and encourage all personnel to play their part in establishing the highest possible standards of ethical and professional conduct within the WA Police Force.

The Public Interest Disclosure Act (the Act) enables people to make disclosures about wrongdoing within the State public sector, local government and public universities without fear of reprisal.

The Act aims to ensure openness and accountability in government by encouraging people to make disclosures and protecting them when they do.

The WA Police Force encourages all managers and supervisors to adopt a Managerial Intervention Model (MIM) to the resolution of behaviour, conduct and/or work performance matters/issues identified as a result of a complaint(s) against police.

The MIM is a remedial/developmental approach which recognises that officers will make honest mistakes and which provides a "fair go" to change behaviour, conduct and/or performance leading to improvement in both organisational and individual performance.

Misconduct

The WA Police Force has a number of processes that will occur for identified or reported matters, which will seek to determine the circumstances and actions that led to the matter.

Misconduct is defined in the Corruption Crime and Misconduct Act 2003 and can range from Minor to Serious in definition.

All matters of misconduct or unprofessional behaviour are managed in accordance with the WA Police Integrity Framework, WA Police Force policy, procedure and legislation.

The WA Police Integrity Framework is a model for the appropriate supervision and management of employees, designed to reduce the risk of misconduct and unethical behaviour.  The framework provides guidance to managers, supervisors, witnesses and external stakeholders, describing the mechanisms for reporting, investigating and arriving at outcomes when misconduct by employee is alleged.

The framework promotes management interventions to align behaviours with the WA Police Force Values, WA Police Force Code of Conduct, policy and relevant legislation. Where management interventions are inadequate to address either real or perceived risk to the reputation of the WA Police Force, the framework includes a disciplinary and dismissal process.