Thursday, 15 August 2019

In reply to  Mr FINN (Western Metropolitan) (5 June 2019)

Ms NEVILLE (Bellarine—Minister for Water, Minister for Police and Emergency Services):

Victoria Police have advised that during the initial ‘000’ phone call at 2.35am, the family said that they did not want police to attend their premises. I am advised that the ‘000’ operator at no time told the family to barricade themselves in their home. Police responded within four minutes of this initial phone call and patrolled the area.

Despite the alleged offenders not re-attending at the family’s home when the second ‘000’ call was received at 3.13am, Victoria Police have agreed that they should have checked on the family’s welfare. This was acknowledged by Acting Superintendent James Dalton to Neil Mitchell’s 3AW program. Victoria Police have spoken with the family to explain the situation and will use this experience as part of their continual improvement of police responses to better served the community.

Every instance of crime is distressing, particularly for those directly impacted. Residents of Point Cook can be reassured that this government is delivering a record $2 billion investment in Victoria Police to provide them with the resources, equipment, infrastructure, technology, laws, and personnel to keep Victorians safe.

This investment, including the deployment and allocation of an additional 93 general duties and specialist police officers to the police division that services Point Cook is making a difference. According to the most recent data from the independent Crime Statistics Agency burglary/break and enter offending has dropped to a record low in the year to March 2019.