By BRIDGET SCOTT
THE City of Casey Council will write to the State Government to request the creation of a police station in the southern part of the municipality.
Councillor Amanda Stapledon raised the motion at a council meeting this week and requested that council write to the Minister for Police Wade Noonan as well as the Shadow Minister for Police Edward O’Donohue and ask that they investigate the possibility of having a police station in Clyde.
Councillor Stapledon said her motion was based on feedback from the community and partly due to a police rally she attended in Berwick last year.
“As leaders in the community, we must advocate for what’s required in the area,” she said.
She said there was a shortage of police in the City of Casey and “with a population of 285,000, we need to think seriously about the level of policing.”
The councillor said she raised it now so that the council views were heard prior to budget deliberations in May.
She has asked for something that will cater for the community for the next four years.
A spokesperson for the Minister for Police said the State Government would continue to work with the City of Casey.
“The Government will continue to consult with Victoria Police in relation to appropriate resourcing for the Casey region,” Kosta Pandos said.
“While the government determines the overall funding for Victoria Police, the Acting Chief Commissioner is responsible for determining the allocation of resources based on operational need,” Pandos said.
“Any decisions on infrastructure will be made as part of the normal funding cycles of government.”
