In response to a crime spike across Wyndham, residents in three suburbs are campaigning for an increase in police presence – but the state’s police minister doesn’t believe the two issues are linked.
The calls come as the most recent crime statistics reveal a rise of almost 20 per cent in Wyndham in the 12 months to April 1.
According to the Police Association of Victoria, an additional 159 frontline police officers are needed in Wyndham by 2019 to bring police numbers up to levels elsewhere in the state.
Point Cook Action Group president Tony Hooper said the increase in reported crime was a clear indicator Wyndham did not have sufficient police resources. He suggested a parcel of state government land in Point Cook as the ideal location for a new police station.
A group of Tarneit residents is also calling for increased police presence following an assault and robbery on five local teenagers earlier this month.
The incident led to the re-launch of an online petition calling on the police minister to allocate more officers to Wyndham. The petition has been supported by more than 2900 people.
A separate petition is calling on Werribee MP Tim Pallas to deliver a police station for Wyndham Vale.
Police Minister Lisa Neville dismissed the suggestion that the lack of police numbers in Wyndham was linked to the region’s increasing crime rate.
“I don’t accept any link,” she said. “This is simply not true. As the statistics show, crime rates have risen because of increased reporting and police work.”
Ms Neville acknowledged the statistics demonstrated a number of law and order challenges in Wyndham but said it was up to police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton where the 400 new police officers, announced in this year’s state budget, would be deployed.
A Victoria Police spokeswoman said the organisation was in the process of determining where the police will be deployed.
“They will be a welcome addition to areas experiencing high population growth and a high volume of crime,” she said.
The additional police will be deployed early 2017.
