The WA Police Union says a "disturbing" lack of empathy from senior executives in the police force has caused hundreds of officers to quit over the past year.
More than 300 officers have left the WA Police since July last year, with senior constables making up the biggest proportion of resignations.
The number of staff leaving the force was a worrying statistic, according to the union, despite adding 570 recruits since March last year.
A union survey of recently resigned staff showed 77 per cent had quit because of poor work culture and dissatisfaction with WA Police management.
The union has also hit back at claims that officers are leaving the force in droves to chase more appealing jobs in the resources sector.
"They haven't left the agency for high-paid resources jobs in the mines," WA Police Union president Mick Kelly said.
"They've left because of a culture of senior executives not caring for the workers.
Police attrition 'common trend'
In a parliamentary hearing last month, it was revealed the average number of resignations has trended upwards since 2019.
Over the past three years, the number of recruits has typically far outstripped the total number of outgoing officers.
However, so far this year, there have been 45 per cent more resignations than new recruits.
More than 40 per cent of the resignations over the past three years have occurred since March 2021.
Police Commissioner Chris Dawson told the hearing the rate of attrition was "proportionally" above average, and reflected a trend being seen across many employment sectors.
But Mr Kelly said the increasing number of resignations was a result of officers prioritising their mental health, rather than a consequence of the labour market.
"There is a lack of family-friendly rostering. Part-time positions within the agency have shrunk. When you've got working couples, young kids, you need that flexibility," he said.
The number of staff who have accessed mental health support programs has also grown significantly, more than tripling from 777 in 2019 to 2,619 last year.
In one submission to the union's survey, a member said the "WA Police Force management doesn't care about its people".
Government 'not alarmed' by resignations
The state government has attributed the increasing rate of employee turnover in the police force to the robust labour market.
"We've got an economy at the moment which is absolutely booming," Deputy Premier Roger Cook said.
"You will see fluidity in the workforce. You'll see people taking opportunities in other parts of the economy. I'm not alarmed."
Mr Cook said the government was pursuing a recruitment drive to bring in skilled workers from abroad to address shortages across the state.
Officers 'suffering in silence', says opposition
However, Shadow Police Minister Peter Collier said the initiative was "abject nonsense".
"It's like putting a band-aid on a broken arm," he said.
"There are thousands of officers that are suffering in silence. Hundreds of them are taking the very bold step of actually leaving."
Mr Collier urged the government to focus its attention on supporting the existing workforce in Western Australia, rather than attempting to bolster it through an overseas recruitment drive.
Despite hundreds of new recruits over the past few years, and a reduction in overall crime rates since 2019, Mr Collier pointed at the surge in certain crimes such as domestic violence.
"They'll only get worse as we have less officers," he said.
"We've got some major issues with crime in Western Australia. We simply do not have sufficient officers to deal with those crime rates."
