By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
THE Police Minister has hit back at claims he is “passing the buck” when it comes to the Endeavour Hills police station not being manned 24-7.
Casey councillor Rafal Kaplon again raised the issue in Urgent Business on Tuesday after council resolved in April to write to Police Minister Wade Noonan to investigate the feasibility of having the station manned 24-hours a day.
“When I raised this issue before this council in the past, the minister’s response was that politicians do not make decisions on these matters,” Cr Kaplon said this week.
“To this day I maintain that such a response amounts to passing the buck because it is politicians like the Minister for Police who allocate the money that is meant to ensure the safety of our communities.”
But Mr Noonan remained steadfast, telling Star News that he was not allowed to allocate police resources and that it was the Chief Commissioner’s responsibility.
“Under changes introduced by the previous government, in S.10 of the Victoria Police Act 2013, the Police Minister cannot direct the specific allocation of police resources,” he said.
“That is a matter for the Chief Commissioner.
“The law is the law.”
Mr Noonan said the Endeavour Hills station still offered “a 24-hour service” despite its front counter being closed from 11pm to 7am.
But Police Association secretary Ron Iddles recently told the media that wasn’t enough.
“It has never had been adequately staffed so that it could always keep its doors open around the clock,” he said.
When Cr Kaplon raised the issue in April he said the increasing population in the suburbs of Endeavour Hills, Hallam and Doveton had led to a “visible rise” in crime in the area.
Last September the station was the scene of the fatal shooting death of 18-year-old terrorism suspect Numan Haider.
While earlier this year a body identified as Dung Tri Pham was found in a burnt-out car in Eumemmerring in a suspected murder.
