Victoria’s police union has scoffed at suggestions custody officers in Sunshine will reduce the “massive burden” faced by “overworked” frontline police in Melton.
Responding to a Melton council request for details of local police numbers and support for extra police in the area, Acting Inspector Peter Langdon, of Melton police, said: “We are putting in place plans to ensure that we are well resourced to serve the community.”
Asked by Star Weekly about those plans and resourcing in Melton, Victoria Police spokeswoman Danielle Fleeton said Sunshine police had been assigned 12 custody officers in recent months.
“And we will be receiving more in the future,” Ms Fleeton said.
“These [police custody officers] will assist police in managing people in custody, ultimately allowing them to spend more time in the Brimbank and Melton communities, focusing on crime prevention and public safety.”
But Police Association assistant secretary Bruce McKenzie said only more police officers at Melton would make a “genuine” difference to the “resourcing crisis” at Melton.
“The Police Association rejects the notion that the recruitment of police custody officers in Sunshine would somehow reduce the massive burden already felt by our over-worked frontline police at Melton,” Inspector McKenzie said.
“While the extra custody officers may have the effect of freeing up some officers at Sunshine [who are also thin on the ground], it is difficult to see this having the same effect at Melton, which is in a different local government area.”
Inspector McKenzie said custody officers were not the “panacea” to bolstering frontline police to keep up with the west’s booming population.
Acting Inspector Langdon last week responded to a letter from Melton council that asked for details of police numbers in Melton.
The letter also sought Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton’s support for the provision of extra police “in what is a rapidly growing municipality”.
Acting Inspector Langdon “acknowledged” the community faced challenges as a result of population growth and said he recognised the municipality was growing.
But he stopped short of explaining how many police officers were deployed to Melton.
He ended his letter by reassuring Melton council that Victoria Police was aware of the challenges being faced by the municipality.
