Discussions of female police officers were held in October 1915 but remained unfunded. Mrs Helen Blanche Dugdale (1876–1952) and Miss Laura Ethel Chipper (1879–1978) were appointed in August 1917 to commence duties on 1 September 1917 as the first two female officers. Organisation The Police Headquarters is located in East Perth overlooking the Causeway, near the WACA Ground. The 1960s curved building also housed the former East Perth Lockup. and a magistrates courtroom. The structure is entered on the State Heritage Register. Recruits are trained at the Western Australian Police Academy at Joondalup. Previously, the academy was located at Maylands, in premises still used by various units including the mounted and K-9 (police dog) sections. The command structure has the state divided into three regions and sub-divided into fourteen districts. there were 36 metropolitan and 123 regional police stations. The highest-ranking officer is the Commissioner of Police. , the Commissioner is Col Blanch. There is an Assistant Commissioner (Professional Standards), a Deputy Commissioner (Operations), a Deputy Commissioner (Specialist Services) and an executive director. Politically, the service comes within the portfolio of the Minister for Police. A number of specialist units have been established, including the Tactical Response Group (TRG), Dog Squad (K9), Gang Crime Squad, Crime Investigation and Intelligence Services, Water Police, Traffic Enforcement Group, Specialist Police Motorcycle Unit, Regional Operations Group, Police Air Wing, Liquor Enforcement Unit and the Gold Stealing Detection Unit. Personnel , some 7,272 police officers were employed, including auxiliary officers and Aboriginal liaison officers; together with about 2,291 police staff. (Police staff includes public servants and wages employees, but not school street-crossing guards.) , females constituted 25.0% of the police officers, including three of 12 senior officers. Police auxiliary officers The Western Australia Police have Police Auxiliary Officers, members of staff who are employed to support WA Police officers through the admission, custody and release of detainees in the Perth Watch House and other station-based lock-ups, including the supervision and transferring of detainees to court and for medical treatment in hospitals. Other duties include managing and handling drugs and firearms, processing property and exhibits and a range of station based support tasks. They are distinguishable by their maroon epaulettes, white name patches and their uniforms display 'Auxiliary Officer' instead of 'Police'. Police Auxiliary Officers who are tasked with protective service duties are authorised to carry a firearm and a Taser and are equipped with telescopic