Thursday, 6 February 2025

 Renee HEATH (Eastern Victoria) (17:36): (1388) My adjournment is for the Minister for Police, and the action that I seek is for the minister to advocate for proper funding to address crime, which is out of control in Victoria. Local police officers are doing the best they can, but the state Labor government is not providing them with the resources they need. In Somerville we have just seen three teenagers terrorising shoppers with imitation guns at the Somerville shopping centre. Witnesses said:

… they were out of control, and pointing guns in our faces yelling and swearing …

They were, thankfully, arrested, but knowing Victoria’s bail system, as we sadly do, I will not be surprised if they are out and at it again. Criminal offences increased by 32 per cent in the Mornington Peninsula shire in 2024. Meanwhile the state Labor government have weakened bail laws, they have cut crime prevention funding, they are increasing the age of responsibility and frontline policing has been diminished. Labor have also cut the open reception hours at Hastings police station, and Somerville police station has no open reception hours at all. Police are under-resourced, and Labor’s soft-on-crime approach means serious offenders face no real consequences. I ask for action to be taken in this area.