We are asking WA Minister for Police Mr Paul Papalia and WA Police Commissioner Mr Chris Dawson to review the way officers are told to enforce mandates regarding masks and how they investigate people with exemptions from wearing them to ensure they act legally, ethically and consistently and compassionately when dealing with the public whom they serve.

We call upon the WA Police Commissioner, Mr Chris Dawson, and the WA Minister for Police, Mr Paul Papalia, to review and correct what possible issues exist in the police force which are causing officers to act so inconsistently when enforcing mask mandates.

Numerous incidents are occurring where police officers are using intimidation and threats of arrest against person s who are not wearing masks, before and even after the people have explained they have approved exemptions, including in some incidents where these people have already shown the exemption certificates when asked (even though the WA Police force has formally suggested previously that “The Directions does not stipulate if evidence should be carried. However, for individuals having to address their personal exemption, the production of a medical certificate would possibly make the experience easier.”).

Incidents where people have been removed from private premises, including such incidents as Christians inside their church who are practicing their faith in God’s house, have been interrogated in churches that officers have all but barged their way into for “questioning” then when people have been taken outside, been threatened with arrest if they do not produce their exemption documentation, then after said documentation is provided, proving they are holders of valid exemptions, they are again threatened with arrest if they do not provide identification (when they had obviously done nothing wrong).

Not all incidents are handled this way. Others are managed cordially, perhaps the majority of incidents are, but as per the above descriptions, in enough incidents to warrant real concern amongst citizens over the perhaps unclear directions given to officers, or the over zealous ways some officers are choosing to respond, more than enough incidents have occurred where people are harassed, put in fear and threatened with arrest, (including in front of family members with crying children), with little concern and even less respect for people and any cultural or other traditions etc being observed etc, to warrant grave enough concern that this is an issue with possible systemic background, to send this petition to the highest ranking officers of the WA Police force and the state government.

With concern, hope and love we ask the police commissioner and the minister for police to take this issue seriously and act in the ways appropriately to create an atmosphere where all WA police officers know exactly how to and how not to handle such situations for the mutual benefit of all concerned.

All of our citizens deserve respect and it is our hope and intention that this is understood and acted upon.