Community safety across the Latrobe Valley will be strengthened under a Nationals and Liberals Government, with a commitment to recruit an additional 3,000 Victoria Police officers and restore reduced police station hours.
The Nationals’ Member for Morwell, Martin Cameron, said community safety had been eroded under the Allan Labor Government with skyrocketing crime rates and more than 1500 vacancies in Victoria Police.
“In the Latrobe Valley we have the highest crime rate per capita outside of metropolitan Melbourne, and something has to change,” Mr Cameron said.
“Across regional Victoria, including in Moe and Churchill, we are seeing fewer police on the ground and reduced station hours, at a time when our population is growing.
“Local police do an outstanding job, but they are stretched too thin. Our communities deserve to feel safe and to have a visible police presence when they need it.”
As part of the Nationals and Liberals’ Safer Communities Plan, police stations operating under reduced hours will be restored, alongside a major recruitment drive to boost frontline policing.
“We’ll increase numbers in the police academy and recruit from places like the UK, Ireland and New Zealand to bolster the force and protect our communities,” Mr Cameron said.
“This will allow us to re-open the 41 police stations across Victoria that are shut or operating on reduced hours – like in Moe and Churchill – because of staff shortages.
“This is about ensuring our police have the support they need to respond quickly, deter crime, and keep families safe.”
