Wednesday, 18 March 2020

Police resources

Mr FOWLES (Burwood) (09:58): Victorians will see 788 new frontline police hit the beat over the next year thanks to the Andrews Labor government’s record investment in Victoria Police. From May this year 580 police officers will be progressively deployed to stations across Victoria while a further 208 will go to specialist roles such as family violence, road policing, counterterrorism and crime investigation. Victoria Police is deploying new police when and where they are needed, using a sophisticated new tool known as the staffing allocation model. In this latest allocation of additional personnel police are focusing on making sure each Victorian community has the resources to stay safe and respond to crime in their local area.

The Forest Hill division of Victoria Police covers my electorate, including the police service areas of Boroondara, Monash and Whitehorse. My constituents will soon see more police on the streets, with an additional 84 officers joining the division. That is 84 more police out in the community protecting and serving residents and reducing crime, backed by the resources they need to target and prevent burglaries, violent crime and family violence. Since 2018, 172 new officers have been recruited to our local division as the Andrews Labor government continues to deliver the biggest boost to police resources in history. Indeed, this government’s record $3 billion investment has seen more than 1900 of 3135 new police deployed to communities right across the state. Despite the claims of some, we are delivering more police— (Time expired)