INTHEBLACK February 2025 - Magazine - Page 15
MEMBER PROFILE
Santa Cardenia FCPA joined
the Western Australia Police
Force in March 2001 and
became CFO in 2016.
Previously, she worked as
a management accountant
at the Western Australia
Department of Housing.
Cardenia manages a 125-strong
team and a baseline operating
budget of A$2.9 billion.
MEET THE CFO
Police
business
Led by a commitment to serve the community and help the most
vulnerable, Santa Cardenia FCPA, CFO of the Western Australia
Police Force, responds to community safety concerns in financial
terms, using a baseline operating budget of A$2.9 billion.
As told to Adam Courtney
Photography Ryan Ammon
MY ROLE
Balancing the budget
I like to think of what I do as “the business
behind the police”. All the front line needs
to know is that when there is a call-out,
they have the vehicle, the protection and all
the equipment and accoutrements they need
for effective policing. I need to know their
assets and equipment have been procured
in a proficient and timely manner. It is all
about delivering sustainable policing for
the community.
In some ways I am a demographer.
What does an area need, what are the
population patterns and social changes
occurring, and how can we supply those
changes with an efficient policing service?
When we cost the number of officers, we
always look at rank structure as well as
concentration and deployment of officers.
We will cost at certain percentages in
metropolitan, regional and remote areas.
We have a baseline operating budget of
A$2.9 billion. If we require more, we need
to prepare a strong business case. This could
intheblack.cpaaustralia.com.au 15
