Tuesday, 16 May 2023

 Daniela DE MARTINO (Monbulk) (19:11): (166) I rise tonight to request that the Minister for Police and Minister for Crime Prevention, who, wonderfully, is here with us this evening, join me in visiting the Monbulk police station. As the member for Monbulk, I am proud of the hard work and dedication of our local police force in keeping our community safe. Thanks to the investment made by our government in supporting the police, over 3000 new officers have been trained and deployed since we took office, resulting in a reduction in crime in Melbourne’s east, including in my own electorate. In fact, according to recent crime statistics, we saw a decrease of over 7 per cent in the number of criminal incidents in the Yarra Ranges, which is a testament to the efforts of this government, the Department of Justice and Community Safety and the boots on the ground of our officers. However, there is more work to be done to ensure that our community feel safe and supported. This is why I would like the minister to accompany me on a visit to the Monbulk police station to express our gratitude for the hard work of the officers and to hear from and listen directly to them about the support they require to do their job. I look forward to the minister joining with me to meet with the police stationed there at Monbulk to listen to and discuss what further support they need to keep Monbulk, the Dandenong Ranges broadly and the outer east a safe place to live.