Police charge pair over South Hedland 'drug den'

South Hedland police say they were powerless to evict a mother and son who turned a Department of Housing property into a "drug den" and "created a nightmare" for the community.

The pair, who were squatters at a Kennedy Street residence in South Hedland, were the subject of seven police raids in six months.

Officers recovered stolen property, drugs and drug paraphernalia from the house and charged the occupants with multiple offences, including possessing amphetamines with intent to sell and supply.

South Hedland police Senior Sergeant Mick Hayes criticised the Department of Housing last week, saying repeated requests for interdepartmental collaboration fell on deaf ears.

"Taking over houses and squatting in houses, and then turning them into criminal dens, we shouldn't tolerate it, Homeswest shouldn't tolerate it, this is a headache for the whole community," he said.

"We're only asking, from our point of view, that the Homeswest policy be enforced. We've got repeat drug offending, and it is sell and supply which is an automatic eviction for people in a Homeswest property."

Sen. Sgt Hayes made contact with the Department of Housing regarding the Kennedy Street squatters as early as October last year, outlining the extent of their criminal activity and asking that both agencies "come together and discuss this house and put in place a strategy to prevent this behaviour in government housing".

The department confirmed last week that the legal tenant had not been residing in the property and that it received two complaints lodged through the Disruptive Behaviour Reporting Line in August 2013. Department general manager service delivery Steve Parry said public housing rental properties were inspected annually and more regularly if deemed necessary.

"An annual inspection of (the property) was completed on April 29, 2013, and the property was noted to be clean and tidy," he said.

"Since June 30, 2013, department staff have visited the property on numerous occasions."

A District Status Report released in December revealed drug offences in South Hedland were up 1700 per cent on the previous year. The report also showed drug related charges were up 650 per cent over a five-year average.

Sen. Sgt Hayes said the report was proof of a shift in focus by police to take a hard line on drugs and the associated volume crime.