By JESSE GRAHAM
OPPOSITION MPs have called for the State Government for more police resources following a door-stop at the Yarra Valley’s police stations last month.
But the government has hit back at the call, saying 400 police would return to the streets due to its budget measures.
On Wednesday 13 May Eildon MP Cindy McLeish and Opposition police spokesman Edward O’Donohue visited police stations in Yarra Glen, Healesville, Yarra Junction and Warburton.
They told the Mail at their Healesville stop that they had come to talk to local police about issues they may be facing.
Their visit also came a week after the release of the State Budget for the coming financial year.
Mr O’Donohue criticised the Government for not funding new police staff under the Budget.
“One of the challenges for Victoria Police is the new government has failed to commit resources to the force,” he said.
“We’ve got a situation where Victoria is growing by 100,000 people a year – you’ve got complex police challenges from working with family violence, the ice (crystal methamphetamine) and other issues, and VicPol is not being provided sufficient resources.”
Mr O’Donohue said new police policies, which require officers to work in groups of at least two at any time, would also strain current resources.
“Fundamentally, it’s going to require more resources, and the Government is not providing those resources,” he said.
But Police Minister Wade Noonan said the introduction of 400 custody officers, beginning in the first half of next year, would mean 400 police officers would be able to return to street duties.
Currently, police supervise people detained in police cells – the custody officers would take over that role.
“The Andrews Labor Government will always work with Victoria Police to ensure they have the right resources to keep themselves and the community safe,” Mr Noonan said.
Mr Noonan said the custody officers would begin at six stations, including Dandenong, Ballarat and Geelong before being rolled out to more than 20 stations.
He said, with Victoria Police assessing the interim policy of police working two-up, it was “premature” to speculate on the impacts on small rural police stations.
Mr O’Donohue and Ms McLeish said that from their conversations on the day there was strong support for local police stations in the Eildon electorate.
