By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
SHADOW Police Minister Edward O’Donohue has added his voice to those in Casey on the ice issue, maintaining that it is a significant problem in Casey, not withstanding contrary views floated in leaked government research.
The confidential Federal Government research indicated the use of ice had declined, according to a report in The Age last month.
While visiting police stations across Victoria, Mr O’Donohue said he had identified two policing issues which were continually brought up and therefore his priorities – one being the prevalence of ice.
“Since I’ve been the Shadow Minister for Police, I’ve been visiting police stations around Victoria, through the Yarra Valley, through Dandenong, Frankston, Warragul, through Gippsland, all over,” he said.
“And there are two things that police members constantly say to me. The challenge of family violence, how time intensive it is, and also the challenge of ice, and how it’s penetrated country communities in the way other drugs haven’t, and the way it makes people behave, in the way that other drugs don’t.
“So from the anecdotal feedback that I’ve had from, members of the Victoria Police, ice is a huge issue and it needs a serious ongoing investment from government and from the community.
“You need the full community response too.”
Mr O’Donohue’s comments echo those of Cranbourne Police Sergeant Neil Herbert, who last month told the News “uniform police were increasingly finding ice to be an influence in a range of different crimes.”
“Some people are saying recently that it’s been blown out of proportion, but anecdotally and also from looking at reporting and working the streets, it is a drug that is becoming more prevalent,” Sgt Herbert said.
“That’s my experience. I can’t quantify that with statistics.”
