Michael O’BRIEN (Malvern) (19:05): (1431) My adjournment is directed to the Minister for Police, and the action I seek is for him to list which of the 11 train stations in my Malvern electorate will have protective services officers stripped away in whole or in part by the Allan Labor government. The introduction of PSOs on metropolitan train stations from 6 pm to the last train was a very important policy of the Baillieu Liberal–Nationals government. Years of neglect under Labor had seen train stations become places of danger, not places of safety. Too many people, particularly women and children, did not feel safe at night waiting for a train on a dark station platform or walking through a dark car park. Tragically, very serious crimes occurred. As an example, in 2019, 8798 offences were committed on public transport in Victoria, including a homicide, 10 rapes and over 1200 assaults. So the Liberal government hired over 940 new PSOs to ensure that every metropolitan train station and major regional station had at least two PSOs patrolling from 6 pm until the last train, seven days a week. This initiative made a massive difference to the safety of public transport users, but it was opposed by the then Labor opposition. A former Labor Minister for Police, no less, derided PSOs in this very chamber and disgracefully called them plastic policemen. Well, Labor was wrong, our policy worked and Victorians were safe, and Labor once elected felt compelled to continue with our PSO policy.
But Labor has always looked for an opportunity to crab walk away from a Liberal policy that they always opposed, and now they are doing just that. The Age reported on Sunday 16 November in ‘Most train stations to lose permanent night patrols’ that 120 train stations across Melbourne are to have their PSOs stripped away. Instead, one team of PSOs are to be spread across six stations every night. So commuters will only have a one-in-six chance of having a PSO presence when they get off a train at night at 120 stations. This is Labor’s PSO lotto, but they are playing games with the safety of Victorians. Researcher Dr Rumana Sarker said:
Our research showed having a PSO at a train station is what made women feel safest.
Labor is now stripping that away. The Police Association Victoria secretary Wayne Gatt also criticised Labor’s policy. The police minister said crime in train stations largely occurred in the afternoon. That is the point: when you have PSOs at every station at night, you get less crime. Labor’s PSO lotto policy will put commuters at greater risk of serious crime, and I want to know which Malvern stations are having that protection stripped away by an uncaring Allan Labor government.