A Labor MP has urged Melton and Caroline Springs residents rallying for more frontline police to “maintain your rage, maintain your pressure, maintain your activism”.
At a rally attended by more than 400 people in Caroline Springs at the weekend, upper house Western Metropolitan MP Cesar Melhem said previous governments had not “caught up with [police] numbers to match the population growth”.
“There’s no question, it’s a no brainer that we need more police on the beat,” Mr Melhem said.
“I can assure you the government accepts that proposition because that’s the only solution.
“The western suburbs has grown very quickly, but unfortunately we haven’t caught up with the numbers to match the population growth.
“I can see that, you can see that, and now the government sees that.”
North-West Division police Commander Russell Barrett told the rally that population growth in the area had “outstripped” the service demand Victoria Police could provide, but he could not say when the Melton police service area would be receiving extra police.
Commander Barrett told residents Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton, who was not present, had acknowledged the community was living in fear.
“I have every understanding why people would be fearful,” Commander Barrett said.
“I feel for the community.
“There’s been considerable growth in Caroline Springs, we can’t hide away from that. The growth is significant; it’s outstripped the service demand we can provide.”
He said the message from Chief Commissioner Ashton was “very clear”: the extra 300 frontline police funded in this year’s state budget would be deployed to high-growth and high-crime areas.
Police have said that those officers are not expected to graduate from the Police Academy until next year.
One resident, Paulo Penailillo, told the rally he had once called triple-0 five times without a response.
He told Commander Barrett his family was living in fear.
“What are we calling triple-0 for?” Mr Penailillo asked.
“We end up sleeping with the dog inside because we’re living in fear. What do we have to do? Get a gun? Shoot them?”
Holding placards reading “More Police”, “24 Hour Police” and “Safe Streets”, residents demanded extra police immediately.
Police Association secretary Ron Iddles said the community was not feeling safe and, unless addressed, law and order would be the “number one” issue at the next state election.
“You have a right to be safe in your community and you have a right to feel safe, and I know from what I’ve heard that you don’t feel safe,” Mr Iddles said.
“When you don’t feel safe in your community, it becomes a government issue. It hits at the community, it hits at the basic fabric of our society.”
Mr Iddles said while he acknowledged the state government had funded 300 police over the next two years, those numbers were not enough to keep up with population growth.
“We’re behind the eight-ball,” he said.
“There’s been an investment in building police stations, in technology. The current government says we’re going to give iPads. The current government says this iPad is worth 500 police. I’m here to tell you I’ve never seen an iPad drive to a serious assault. I’ve never seen a computer leave a police station.”
Upper house Western Metropolitan Liberal MP Bernie Finn said the rally had sent a “loud and clear message” to Spring Street.
He said the government was failing in its responsibility to protect its citizens.
“We must demand more police,” he said.
“We need the police to protect us. That must be the government’s first priority.”
