Endeavour Hills resident Murray MacGregor and Narre Warren North MP Luke Donnellan, pictured outside the Narre Warre Police Station, want more police in Casey. 84194 Picture: Meagan Rogers
By Lia Bichel
THE STATE Government has denied claims that they are not supporting police in the City of Casey.
Narre Warren North MP Luke Donnellan said that documents he obtained through freedom of information show a decrease in the amount of police across the City of Casey.
According to Mr Donnellan statistics show there was a 23.7 per cent drop in police numbers in Casey since November 2010.
Mr Donnellan said the police did a fantastic job protecting the community, but it’s “clear they are not getting the support they need from the State Government, with an actual drop in police numbers in Casey since the coalition came to power.”
But a spokesperson for the Police Minister Peter Ryan said that between November 2010 and February 2012, all regions across Victoria have received extra frontline police and it was “plainly wrong to suggest otherwise.”
Casey inspector Wayne Viney agreed.
“Between November 2010 and February 2012, police numbers increased by over 423 across Victoria and have since increased further,” Insp Viney said.
“All of the regions have experienced an increase in police numbers and a number of specialist operational fields have also received a boost in numbers. Over the past few years the number of police members working within the Casey Police Service Area has continued to increase.
“It is anticipated as new positions are created that additional staff will be allocated to perform duties within Casey as has been the case for the past few years.”
Mr Donnellan said that with rising crime rates, it was crucial the Casey area got more police on the beat.
“Families in Casey deserve to feel safe in their own homes and the number one factor in combating crime is police numbers,” he said.
Endeavour Hills Resident Murray MacGregor has worked as a bail justice, independent third person and Justice of the Peace at police stations since 1990 and said he thought he had a good insight into the issue.
“I think there is a hell of a shortage and the police under a lot of pressure,” Mr MacGregor said. “And it could get worse if they don’t get more police.”
The spokesperson for Mr Ryan said Chief Commissioner of Police have operational responsibility over the deployment of police, with decisions based on factors such as demand and crime levels.
“It is therefore a matter for Divisional Commanders how they deploy police numbers allocated to them in their respective regions,” the spokesperson said.
”Members of the Labor Party know this and it is both irresponsible and disrespectful of serving Victoria Police members and Police Command in particular, to suggest otherwise.”
