Nearly 1400 Wyndham emergency service workers and hospital staff have been attacked in their line of work since 2014.
A total 180 instances of assaulting a police, emergency services or other authorised officer were recorded in Wyndham between 2014 and 2017, according to state opposition data.
Werribee Mercy Hospital staff members were subjected to 1197 assaults and verbal attacks between January 1, 2014, and April 30, 2018.
The figures give weight to government moves to get tough on sentencing for such offences.
Last week, the state government announced that it would toughen statutory minimum prison sentencing laws so that attacks resulting in injuries to emergency workers will result in compulsory prison time for offenders.
Premier Daniel Andrews said the reforms were aimed at protecting those who dedicated their lives to looking after the community.
“This sends the strongest possible message – if you attack and injure an emergency worker, you will go to jail.”
Mercy Health health services chief executive Linda Mellors said everyone had a right to feel safe at work.
“Too often our emergency department staff are physically or verbally threatened by patients and visitors when they are just trying to do their job,” Adjunct Professor Mellors said. “Abusing our staff in any form is never OK.”
United Firefighters Union secretary Peter Marshall said that while he endorsed the government’s stance, some form of intervention was needed to prevent the attacks from happening in the first place.
“I think it’s a sad reflection on society that we need legislation to protect people who save lives,” he said.
