Western Australian Numbered Acts Western Australian Numbered Acts (1) In this
section —
“officer” means an authorised officer
or a police officer.
(2) If an officer
suspects on reasonable grounds that —
(a) a
child is absent, or has been taken, without lawful authority from a place
where the child was living under a placement arrangement; and
(b)
there is —
(i)
an immediate or substantial risk to the wellbeing of the
child; or
(ii)
a significant likelihood that unless the child is
apprehended immediately the officer will not be able to find the child,
the officer may
apprehend the child and take the child to the place mentioned in
paragraph (a) or such other place as the CEO directs.
(3) For the purposes
of subsection (2) an officer may —
(a)
enter, at any time, any place where the officer reasonably believes the child
to be; and
(b)
search the place for the purpose of finding the child.
(4) An officer does
not need a warrant to exercise the powers in this section.
(5) When exercising a
power under this section an officer may use reasonable force and assistance.
(6) Without limiting
subsection (5), when exercising a power under this section an authorised
officer may be accompanied by a police officer.