Benjamin Millar
Melton council will write to the state government calling for extra police officers to be stationed in the local area.
Councillor Bob Turner brought forward a motion at the December council meeting seeking an analysis of police numbers and crime rates against the rapid population increase in the City of Melton.
A report by the council’s community safety officer Elizabeth Johnston, tabled at the recent council meeting, assessed the crime rate within the City of Melton against population increases over the last 10 years.
The report found that the population has grown from 112,643 people in 2011 to 180,686 in 2021, an increase of almost 70,000 people or 66 per cent.
“In the same decade, there has been an overall (but fluctuating) increase in the number of criminal incidents across the City of Melton from 6065 to 10,113,” the report found.
“This represents a total growth of more than 4000 incidents, or 65 per cent. The increase in criminal incidents across the municipality is therefore considered to be relatively proportionate to the population growth.”
Because statistics on police numbers are not available prior to 2018, this data could only be provided for the last three years.
Assessment of the number of police in the Melton service area revealed a nine per cent increase in police officer numbers from 108 to 118 between 2018 and 2020.
During the same period, the population in the City of Melton grew by about 10 per cent from 156,718 to 172,500 people.
“This indicates that the population has increased at a rate similar to the number of police officers,” the report stated.
Cr Turner told the meeting he was “very disappointed” there was only a three year comparison of police numbers available.
“Definitely we’re below the numbers we should have.”
Cr Sophie Ramsay said it was important to keep an eye on the safety statistics and police numbers in the area as residents would expect the council to be proactive in its community safety advocacy.
Councillors voted to authorise officers to prepare letters for relevant ministers from the mayor to advocate for further police resourcing in the City of Melton.
Officers will also report back to the council with a comparison of police numbers relative to population from various other areas.
