Meet Melton’s new top cop, Inspector Kathy Rudkins.
After 30 years with Victoria Police, the 1984 Police Academy graduate was transferred last September from her inspector of recruiting role to Melton police station where she has already taken a liking to the community.
“It’s a good place with good staff, good people in the community and a lot of people who want to make Melton a safe place to live and a safe place to travel on the roads at night,” she said.
And while a lot of her work is done behind a desk, Inspector Rudkins is working hard behind the scenes to deliver the best service to residents.
There’s no ordinary day for the busy inspector, who divides her time between the Caroline Springs and Melton police stations – but there are some common, recurring themes.
“They are theft of motor vehicles and theft from motor vehicles, burglaries and drugs.”
The number of burglaries in Melton jumped 24.4 per cent in the year to September; theft from motor vehicles increased by 44.2 per cent, theft of motor vehicles by 19.7 per cent, and drug offences by 32.9 per cent.
Inspector Rudkins says many drug users are turning to crime to feed their unsustainable habits and lifestyles.
“Drug users, invariably, need to fund the purchase of their drugs. There are probably a lot of drug users we won’t see, but a lot of users we do see because they’re committing crimes to purchase drugs,” she said.
For budding police officers, Inspector Rudkins has bad news, and good: “You see the very, very worst of people and you see the very, very best of people, so you get the absolute extremes. It’s a great job.”
