There are fewer police on the beat in Wyndham than there were four years ago, according to figures released by the Victorian opposition.
Tarneit MP and opposition shadow treasurer Tim Pallas said that despite criminal offences increasing by more than 14 per cent in Wyndham, the number of frontline police in the area had fallen by more than 20 per cent.
Mr Pallas said documents obtained from Victoria Police through freedom of information showed the number of frontline police had dropped from 106 in 2010 to 84.
Mr Pallas attributed the reduction in police directly to funding cuts imposed by the state government.
“When Denis Napthine cuts $100 million from Victoria Police and cuts the number of officers on the beat, he cuts support to the Wyndham community,” Mr Pallas said.
“Wyndham deserves better than a government that’s too dysfunctional to keep our community safe.”
But Police Minister Kim Wells said in a statement that there were an extra 1525 police in Victoria since Labor left office in November 2010. “The coalition government is on track to deliver 1700 additional frontline police by November at a cost of $602 million,” he said.
“As Labor should know, the chief commissioner of police is independently responsible for making decisions as to where additional officers are located.”
Earlier this month, the secretary of the Victorian Police Union Ron Iddles announced that members would be holding a rally to draw attention to the lack of police in Geelong and surrounding areas.
“Members have been telling us loud and clear for some time about the poor state of frontline numbers all over the state and the stress
and anxiety this is causing them,” Mr Iddles said.
“The result is that our frontline members are stretched to the limit and at breaking point.
“This is a totally unacceptable situation which short-changes not just our members but the respective communities [they] so diligently serve and protect.”
