The state government is putting a spotlight on serious recidivist youth offenders by rolling out a team of police officers to deal with youth crime across the state.
The Westgate division – which encompasses Wyndham, Maribyrnong and Hobsons Bay – will receive at least one of 42 new youth specialist officers who will be on the beat by the end of this year.
Priority communities division commander Stuart Bateson said the new police positions would complement existing youth resources, and would help share information and provide greater co-ordination to target youth offending and reduce harm to the community.
“The YSOs will be responsible for providing a targeted and co-ordinated response to young people who commit high-impact crimes such as aggravated burglaries and carjackings,” Commander Bateson said.
Police Minister Lisa Neville added: “These new youth specialist officers will provide a targeted response to reduce serious youth offending and those causing harm in the community.”
A Victoria Police spokeswoman said that after at least one YSO was allocated to each division, the remaining officers would be allocated to areas where there was a high concentration of youth offending. Meanwhile, the state government has announced $5 million in funding for mobile police stations.
The mobile stations, which will have the flexibility to be rolled out across the state to any location police require as a part of their operational requirements, will be used at events and at crime areas to provide both reassurances to the community and mobile command units during any incidents.
Werribee MP Tim Pallas said the mobile stations, which form part of the government’s new community safety statement, would be fitted with communications and covert capacity and the ability to link into local CCTV coverage.
“The new community safety statement 2018-19 initiatives – on top of the additional police resources for Wyndham, news laws and police powers – will continue to have an impact on crime in Wyndham and across the state,” Mr Pallas said.
