Police officers are leaving the West Australian force in record numbers, with their union describing an overseas recruitment drive as a band-aid solution.

Police Union acting president Paul Gale said 465 sworn police officers resigned last year and 97 retired – the highest number of resignations and retirements in the force’s 189-year history.

“Our police officers have had enough, they’ve had enough of the government not supporting them – and people are looking for jobs that provide better work life balance,”  Mr Gale told 6PR Breakfast.

“Obviously with the 465 that have left, it leaves a big hole and what that does is, it creates a level of fatigue that our police officers are enduring to maintain that service to the community. It will eventually wear out.”

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