Closed police stations will be reopened, roster vacancies filled and community safety will be prioritised under a new plan by the Nationals and Liberals to recruit 3,000 additional Victoria Police officers.
Under Jacinta Allan and Labor, police rosters have more than 1,500 vacancies and over 40 police stations are closed or operating on reduced hours across the state.
The Nationals’ Member for Shepparton District, Kim O’Keeffe, said that under a future Nationals and Liberals Government, police will be better backed across the Shepparton District electorate.
“Our police are doing a great job and the best they can with the resources they have. But it is clear that they need more government support.
“We are experiencing rising crime across the region; more and more police stations are closed or operating on reduced hours and too many Victorians are unable to get a timely police resource when they need it the most.
“My office is regularly contacted by locals expressing their deep concern for rising crime in the community and they need to have more police resources.
“The police budget was cut by $40 million dollars by this government, you can’t cut that much from a budget without a significant impact on the community,” Ms O’Keeffe said.
In recently meeting with local Mooroopna business owner, Paul Jerome, who has shared his ongoing frustration and concern with rising crime and the need to have the Mooroopna Police Station opened for regular hours so that locals can contact their local police without restraints.
Mr Jerome said he had tried to call the Mooroopna Police Station a number of times, only to be diverted to Melbourne and a process that was “inefficient”.
Speaking in Parliament recently, Ms O’Keeffe raised with the Minister for Police, Anthony Carbines, that the Mooroopna Police Station does not have regular hours as the police cannot be in two places at once.
“If they are called out the station is closed. We need police to be able to get to where they are needed, but we also need a local police station that is opened with regular hours.
“This requires more police stations to ensure that they have the amount of staff needed so their doors are open.
“Mooroopna has a population of over 8,000 people, they were provided with a local police station for a reason, not to have it sitting closed and residents feeling vulnerable when it comes to crime,” Ms O’Keeffe said.
As part of the Nationals and Liberals Safer Communities Plan, Victorians will be safer at home, at work and when they are out in the community.
“For over a decade, Jacinta Allan and Labor have continued to neglect our hardworking men and women of Victoria Police.
“Only the Nationals and Liberals have a plan to end Jacinta Allan and Labor’s crime crisis and keeping Victorians safe.
“Our Safer Communities Plan will urgently provide Victoria Police with the resources they need to crack down on offending and restore community safety across the state.
“Victorians deserve a fresh start and a government that will prioritise community safety and back in our hardworking men and women of Victoria Police.”
Photo Caption: The Nationals’ Member for Shepparton District, Kim O’Keeffe pictured with local Mooroopna business owner Paul Jerome outside the Mooroopna Police Station
