UPDATE:
Melton and Caroline Springs residents rallying for extra frontline police have been “absolutely instrumental” in the municipality receiving a resourcing boost it desperately needed, according to the police union.
Victoria Police on Thursday announced Melton and Caroline Springs would get an extra 16 frontline police over the next 12 months, as part of the 300 funded in last year’s state budget.
The crime investigation unit and the sexual offences and child abuse investigation team, based in the Brimbank and Melton police services area, will get an extra nine and five detectives respectively.
The 300 police will be deployed to some of the state’s fastest growing suburbs with the highest needs, based on a staffing allocation model developed by Victoria Police and the Police Association.
The western suburbs including Wyndham, Maribyrnong, Melton and Brimbank, will receive an extra 100 police, the northern suburbs 134, the south-east 50, and Geelong will get an additional 10.
As part of its 2017/18 budget being announced on Tuesday, the state government will fund more than 3000 police to be rolled out over the next four years, with 2000 of those slated for frontline duties.
The $2 billion commitment was made late last year following a so-called “crime wave”, and months of lobbying by the community and police union.
Police Association secretary Wayne Gatt commended Victoria Police for prioritising Melbourne’s growth corridors, where the population is booming and police are “urgently required”.
“You’d have to be very, very aware that this is just an allocation of the first 300 funded in last year’s budget,” Sergeant Gatt said.
“Our members in the Melton police service area have been desperately under-resourced for a significant period of time and they’re facing surmounting challenges in a growth corridor.
“We know that the allocation of extra uniform police officers will assist, but the additional support to [the sexual offences and child abuse investigation team] and criminal investigation unit will assist in reducing crime through investigative means.”
The community can expect to see a greater police presence on the streets, and police response times could be significantly reduced, Sergeant Gatt said.
“The Police Association wants to thank the community of Caroline Springs and Melton … for the support they have given our members. They have been absolutely instrumental in this announcement.”
The extra police will start appearing at stations from next month, with all 300 to be deployed by April next year.
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said the organisation would continue working with the police union to determine where the 2000 frontline officers would be deployed to over the coming years.
“Last year we welcomed record investments in police, and today we are announcing where the first cohort of our new frontline police are being deployed,” Chief Commissioner Ashton said.
“Whilst these extra police will greatly strengthen local police responses in those areas selected, it’s important to stress that this is just the start.”
Tuesday’s state budget will also include funding for a 24 hour police assistance line, automatic number plate recognition technology for highway patrol cars, and a new Air Wing.
EARLIER:
Melton will get an extra 16 frontline police over the next 12 months, as part of the 300 police funded in last year’s state budget.
The crime investigation unit and the sexual offences and child abuse investigation team, based in the Brimbank and Melton police service areas, will get an extra nine and five detectives respectively.
Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said the extra police were being deployed to areas with the highest need based on a staffing allocation model developed by Victoria Police and the police association.
Whittlesea, Hume, Moreland, Brimbank, Casey and Wyndham are set to receive the most significant boosts over the next 12 months.
More to come.
