The Latrobe Valley is still home to the highest rate of crime in regional Victoria, with new data confirming the Allan Labor Government has no solutions to the escalating crisis.
There were 17,950.5 offences recorded in the Latrobe local government area (LGA) for the year to March 2026, with only Melbourne ranking higher across all LGAs in Victoria.
The Nationals’ Member for Morwell, Martin Cameron, said community safety in the Latrobe Valley had been eroded under Labor.
“With 1500 fewer cops on the beat and more than 40 stations operating on reduced hours, Labor’s crime crisis is only set to worsen,” Mr Cameron said.
“Moe police station is now only open to the public during certain hours, despite the fact criminal incidents in the town have spiked a massive 43 per cent since Jacinta Allan became Premier.
“Make no mistake; this is a direct consequence of Labor’s failure to properly resource our hard-working police force.”
Mr Cameron pointed to a concerning rise in retail theft as having a disastrous impact across the region.
“Theft from retail stores across the Valley has skyrocketed 79 per cent in the last two years, which has forced the closure of many small businesses,” he said.
While Premier Allan cuts resources and oversees weak bail laws, The Nationals and Liberals have a clear plan to restore community safety.
“Communities in every corner of the state, people across the political divide, our police officers and our first responders – we have all had enough of Labor’s soft approach on crime,” Mr Cameron said.
“Local police do an outstanding job, but they are stretched too thin. Our communities deserve to feel safe and have a visible police presence when they need it.”
“The Nationals and Liberals will hire an additional 3,000 police officers and reopen every police station that has been closed or faced reduced hours under Labor.
“We will back our police, strengthen the justice system and introduce tough new measures to both prevent and punish crime.”
