Former WA police sergeant sounds PTSD alarm as union calls out 'disgusting' officer assaults

Assaults on police officers in Western Australia's north are becoming increasingly violent, according to the WA Police Union, which is calling for harsher penalties to be enforced.

Kimberley police reported three officers in Broome, 2,200 kilometres north of Perth, were spat on while performing their duties on a single day last week.

Police statistics show 87 recorded assaults on police officers across the region to June 2026, up from 84 in the same period last year.

Union wants accountability

WA Police Union spokesperson Simone Taplin said there had been an uptick in needle-stick injuries, as well as officers being spat at.