Nearly 6,000 Wanted Offenders Still at Large

Figures reveal nearly 6,000 arrest warrants remain outstanding in Western Australia, including almost 4,000 that have been unresolved for more than five years, raising serious concerns about enforcement, resourcing, and the safety of WA communities.

“These aren’t parking tickets – they’re arrest warrants. And nearly 6,000 of them are still active across WA,” Shadow Minister for Police Adam Hort said.

“To be issued an arrest warrant is no simple matter. We’re not dealing with a simple offence, such as stealing a chocolate bar or being overdue for a library book.

“Police deem the offences serious enough to track the alleged offender down, take them into custody, and bring them before the courts.

“Yet many of these alleged offenders are still walking the streets and that makes our communities less safe.”

Figures tabled in Parliament show almost 4,000 of the outstanding warrants have been active for more than five years, with more than 1,000 left unresolved for more than 15 years.

“That’s five, ten, even 15 years with no justice, no closure for victims, and no consequences for alleged offenders,” Mr Hort said.

Mr Hort said the number of long-standing warrants should serve as a wake-up call for the Police Minister.

“Our police do an incredible job. This failure does not lie with them – it lies with a government that refuses to give them the resources and direction they need to act on these warrants,” he said.

“This is about dangerous individuals potentially roaming free while victims are left wondering if the system has forgotten them.”

Mr Hort said the figures highlight the broader pressures facing frontline police, and the urgent need to address the growing number of unfilled positions across the WA Police Force.

“We’ve heard time and again about staff shortages and delayed response times – this backlog of arrest warrants is further evidence that serious pressure is being felt across the system.

“If the Minister is serious about community safety, he needs to act now to fill the growing number of vacancies, invest in enforcement capacity, and give our police the support they deserve.

“Because without boots on the ground, warrants go unanswered, offenders go unpunished, and the community is left exposed.”