WA Police establish dedicated hate crime unit to target rise in anti-Semitism and racial hatred

WA Police have established a dedicated hate crime unit to combat rising racial hatred and anti-Semitism across the State.

Senior members of Perth’s Jewish community say incidents of anti-Semitism have risen 300 per cent since renewed Middle East conflicts — sparked by the Hamas attack on Israeli citizens — in October 2023.

The unit is only the second such specialised team to be established by police in Australia. The first was in NSW, which was given a $525,000 boost by the Minns Government this year.

WA Police Commander Darren Seivwright on Saturday said there was no place for hate crimes in the State.

“The hate crime team was established in response to growing community concern about hate-related offences,” he said.

“The establishment of this team aligns with national efforts to improve the reporting and response of these crimes.

“Criminal offences that are motivated by an ignorance or prejudice towards people that are different from the offenders have no place in WA.

“WA Police Force are well placed to respond to hate-related offending, and no tolerance will be afforded to the small section of our community who engage in this type of insidious behaviour.”

The team provides police with the capability to respond to, and investigate, hate motivated incidents, also working with online operatives from the State Security Investigation Group.

The unit uses a myriad of sophisticated tools at their disposal to identify and find people involved, including using automatic number plate recognition where applicable and scouring CCTV and dashcam footage.

Since the unit was established in April, five arrests have been made in relation to hate-based crimes, including over an anti-Israel graffiti attack on the WA Parliament in May and a Perth man performing a Nazi salute during a live stream in June this year.

Across Australia, there has been a disturbing rise of hate crimes and anti-Semitism.

Jewish Community Council of WA president Geoff Midalia said while few reports were made, incidents targeting his community were rife.

“Every week there is a drive-by at a school where somebody winds down the window and takes photos, or somebody drives by a synagogue screaming “F… the Jews or someone doing a Heil Hitler sign out the window,” he said.

“This is ongoing. It’s regular.

“Since October 7, 2023, the increase in anti-Semitism in our community has been around 300 per cent.”

Establishment of the hate crime team comes off the back of several measures already taken by the WA Government to address similar incidents.

Legislation enacted in March prohibits the public display of Nazi symbols and the Nazi salute. A maximum penalty of five years imprisonment applies.

The Cook Government is also introducing a “post and boast” offence to punish the glorification of illegal and dangerous acts on social media. The new laws will impose penalties of up to three years’ jail for circulating such material, including online.

The laws will target material on social media that may humiliate, intimidate or victimise a person, increase the reputation or notoriety of the offender, glorify the conduct, or encourage copycat behaviour. Those who don’t remove offending material face a year’s jail and a $12,000 fine.

Offences covered by the legislation will include assaults, stealing and robbery; property damage; dangerous or reckless driving, racial harassment and inciting racial hatred and Nazi symbols and salutes.

Premier Roger Cook said on Saturday his government would do all it could to keep the Jewish community safe.

“My government has a strong relationship with Western Australia’s Jewish community, and we will continue to work together to keep WA safe,” he said.

‘“We condemn recent attacks like those on an East Melbourne synagogue that strike fear into the heart of all Western Australians.

“Racism and antisemitism will not be tolerated in WA, and WA Police will use every tactic and measure at its disposal to protect the community and catch the perpetrators.

“Hate crimes have no place in WA and we will do everything to crack down on the cowardly thugs who commit these vile attacks.”