Wyndham council has declared it will get behind a campaign to bring more police to the area.
Star Weekly understands police numbers in the city are set to become a major issue, with a large number of officers working in Werribee about to be transferred to a new 24-hour station in Waurn Ponds.
Wyndham police are already stretched, with reports that only one or two divisional vans are available to patrol, with most of their time taken up shuttling between jobs, notably reports of domestic violence.
Wyndham council chief executive Kerry Thompson said the council would support calls for more police, rather than the installation of CCTV in Werribee’s CBD.
A police officer based at Werribee told Star Weekly more frontline officers were desperately needed.
“The council is right on the money with this one,” the officer, who did not want to be named, said.
“There’s growing concern that things will get worse.”
Ms Thompson again ruled out the installation of CCTV in Werribee.
“Advice from local police is that they have sufficient access to CCTV footage from other parties if required for evidence,” she said.
“Police have also indicated that Werribee CBD does not have the volume or types of crime to warrant the significant cost of installing cameras and monitoring footage.”
The anonymous police officer said discussion around CCTV cameras was a “distraction” and more police should be the top priority.
Tarneit Labor MP Tim Pallas said more police, not cameras, were the answer.
“There are fewer front line police officers assigned to local stations today than there were in November 2010,” Mr Pallas said.
But Cr Intaj Khan said he didn’t agree with the council’s stance.
“As an individual, I think the CBD needs CCTV cameras,” Cr Khan said.
“Wyndham needs more police, but that is an issue for the state government. We can install CCTV cameras without all that bureaucracy.’’
Western Metropolitan Liberal MP Andrew Elsbury said the council should not be happy with “mediocre” CCTV coverage.
“The council continues to claim they want to activate the Werribee CBD and increase patronage of Station Place and Watton Street, yet they continue with a ‘she’ll be right’ haphazard system of shop owner-based CCTV cameras,” Mr Elsbury said.
A police officer based at Werribee told Star WeeklyHe said since 2010, the government had posted 51 extra police to north-west metro division 2, which includes Wyndham.
