In Western Australia, when should you contact police versus handling a situation yourself?

In Western Australia, when should you contact police versus handling a situation yourself?

• A. Always escalate to supervisor.
• B. Contact police for criminal offences or violent threats; handle non-criminal disputes within training scope, de-escalate and document incidents.
• C. Wait for instructions from client.
• D. Contact police only for non-criminal disputes.

Answer: (B)

The situation hinges on risk and legality: involve police when there is a criminal offence or an imminent violent threat; otherwise, handle the matter using your training, with de-escalation and proper documentation. If you’re dealing with something that involves crimes or immediate danger to people, contact police right away. They’re equipped to handle the threat, investigate, and preserve evidence. For non-criminal disputes, you should stay within the scope of your training, work to de-escalate the situation, and document what happened so there’s a clear record if follow-up is needed. Choosing to escalate to a supervisor every time isn’t necessary for every incident, and waiting for instructions from the client can put safety at risk. Calling police for non-criminal disputes adds unnecessary resource use and may not be appropriate when you can resolve the matter through trained procedures.

The situation hinges on risk and legality: involve police when there is a criminal offence or an imminent violent threat; otherwise, handle the matter using your training, with de-escalation and proper documentation.

If you’re dealing with something that involves crimes or immediate danger to people, contact police right away. They’re equipped to handle the threat, investigate, and preserve evidence. For non-criminal disputes, you should stay within the scope of your training, work to de-escalate the situation, and document what happened so there’s a clear record if follow-up is needed.

Choosing to escalate to a supervisor every time isn’t necessary for every incident, and waiting for instructions from the client can put safety at risk. Calling police for non-criminal disputes adds unnecessary resource use and may not be appropriate when you can resolve the matter through trained procedures.