Sixty-three new police officers will hit the beat in Brimbank from this week to boost police presence on the streets and help combat violent offending.
Premier Daniel Andrews announced last Thursday that 300 front-line police officers would be sent to work in Melbourne’s growth suburbs, including 63 to the Brimbank division. Nine will head to the Brimbank crime investigation unit and five to the divisional sexual offences and child abuse investigations team.
Brimbank Inspector Dallas Normington said the 63 new officers were a “positive outcome” for Melbourne’s west.
“It provides us with the opportunity to further enhance our service delivery across Brimbank, not only relating to our response to crime, road policing and public order issues, but also enabling us to increase engagement across a wide range of community groups,” Inspector Normington said.
“These numbers will assist us in building on what we already have in place and provide an increased police presence across Brimbank.”
The 300 new officers are the first to be deployed since the state government announced last year it would fund the recruitment of 3135 new officers over four years.
The $2 billion investment to boost staff numbers by 20 per cent was announced in last year’s 2016-17 state budget.
The force’s newest members will be assigned to “areas of highest needs”, mainly police stations in Melbourne’s growth areas such as Fawkner, Wyndham, Hume and Whittlesea.
Chief commissioner Graham Ashton said the new officers would put more police on the beat.
“Last year we welcomed record investments in police, and today we are announcing where the first cohort of our new frontline police are being deployed.”
Kororoit MP Marlene Kairouz said the new officers would make a real impact.
“The new police will be warmly welcomed by the western suburbs and I want to thank all of our police who work hard every day to keep us safe,” she said.
Police Association secretary Wayne Gatt commended the state government for prioritising deployment of the force’s newest staff to Victoria’s main growth corridors.
“The Police Association has for some time advocated the urgent recruitment and deployment of additional police to these areas. We’re pleased that extra boots are now starting to hit the ground,” Sergeant Gatt said.
But opposition police spokesman Edward O’Donohue said the announcement showed Mr Andrews was “more focused on the media cycle than protecting Victorians”.
“If Daniel Andrews really cared he wouldn’t have slashed police numbers per capita, closed police stations and weakened the justice system,” he said.
