Caroline Springs Police Station has again come under the spotlight after the station hours were reduced for the second time in a month.
Victoria Police announced temporarily reduced hours for the station on 24 February via a post on the Eyewatch – Melton Police Service Area Facebook page, despite reducing the hours not a month earlier.
According to the post, the station’s counter hours have been reduced to Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 10.15am and 5.45pm, a 30-minute difference from the already reduced 10am to 6pm desk hours for the same days.
The announcement by Victoria Police comes just a day after Melton council backed a push to restore 24-hour operations at the station at its 23 February meeting.
Cr Kathy Majdlik said council has long advocated for the station to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, since it opened as a non-24-hour facility in 2017.
“As one of the fastest growing cities in Australia, our population is increasing at an unprecedented rate,” she said.
“With that growth comes the need for services, including police personnel, to keep pace.”
The reduction in hours follows a statement from Victoria Police indicating the move would prioritise freeing up officers from desk duties to bolster frontline patrols.
However, councillors questioned why the community should have to choose between an accessible police station and visible on-the-ground policing.
“It was disappointing to hear that news. The justification just seems a bit one-sided. Why is this happening in the west but not the east? ” Cr Zada said.
Council will write to Premier Jacinta Allan and Police Minister Anthony Carbines to express “strong disappointment” at the reduced hours and seek clarification on the community benefit of the change.
Kororoit MP Luba Grigorovitch said the government backs the chief commissioner’s plans for a “new-look” Victoria Police.
“We back the chief commissioner’s plan to deliver a safer Victoria and a new-look Victoria Police – retaining more members and getting more of them on the streets deterring crime,” she said.
“The best place for highly skilled police officers is out in the community preventing crime and keeping people safe.
“Keeping Victorians safe in 2026 means prioritising frontline police patrols.”
Ms Allan and Mr Carbines were contacted for comment.
