A Wyndham police inspector has weighed in on the municipality’s policing debate.
Inspector Frank Sells said he wanted to reassure people that despite recent aggravated burglaries, the region was still a safe place to live and work.
Inspector Sells’ comments come as residents continue to campaign for a higher police presence across the municipality, calling for the additional 159 front-line police officers the Police Association says are needed to bring the region up to the state’s average for every 100,000 residents.
Residents are also calling for a new police station in Point Cook.
“I’m extremely comfortable with the level of police resources at Wyndham,” Inspector Sells said.
“Community safety is our No.1 priority, and we continually monitor emerging trends and crime data to provide the best service to the community.
“We place our police when and where they’re needed most, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“If the community are concerned about crime or illegal activity, then we encourage them to speak to us directly.”
He said the police north-west metro region’s resources had been re-organised to respond more directly to the spate of aggravated burglaries across the western suburbs and that police understood the crimes had impacted perceptions of safety in the community.
“We have a lot more police on duty at night to prevent, respond to and identify offending,” he said.
“I do want to reassure residents that Wyndham is a safe place to live and work.”
Inspector Sells said that based on population numbers, crime rates were low in terms of offence counts when compared to those of other growth areas.
He said Operation Cosmas, a statewide police operation targeting aggravated burglaries, was proof that police were working hard, with 75 arrests across Victoria since May.
The additional 300 front-line police funded in this year’s state budget would be deployed to respond to local crime issues such as drugs, motor vehicle offences and anti-social behaviour.
“Victoria Police is currently working through where these personnel will be deployed,” he said.
“They will be a welcome addition to areas experiencing high population growth and a high volume of crime.”
