Melton MP Don Nardella has condemned the state government after documents revealed there are fewer frontline police officers in Melton today than three years ago.
Mr Nardella’s comments come in the wake of claims from the opposition that Victoria Police documents reveal that of the 56 police service areas across Victoria, only six have more police now than in November 2010.
The figures show that police numbers in Melton have dropped from 95 to 74 at January 31, 2014 – a reduction of almost 23 per cent.
“There are fewer frontline police officers in Melton today than there were three years ago,” Mr Nardella said.
“Denis Napthine’s tough-on-crime stance has been a catastrophic failure and it is Melton families’ safety being put at risk.”
However, a spokesman for Victoria Police said the oppositions’ claims were not accurate.
“Victoria Police has more than 1500 extra operational police than it did in 2010, so it is simply not accurate to suggest there is a crisis within the organisation,” the spokesman said.
“Looking at numbers within police stations alone presents a skewed picture of how many police are working in an area, because many of our police are not physically attached to the stations.
“They are working in specialist squads, tackling family violence, organised crime and offending on our roads.
“These police are not always based at local police stations but are still working in local communities, helping to keep Victorians safe.”
