Thursday, 15 August 2019

In reply to  Ms STITT (Western Metropolitan) (6 June 2019)

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

As you are aware, this Victorian Government has invested a record $2 billion in Victoria Police to provide them with the resources, personnel, infrastructure, laws, equipment, and technology to keep Victorians safe. This includes deploying an additional 3,135 police officers, on top of attrition, by 2022.

The Staffing Allocation Model (SAM) developed by Victoria Police, in consultation with the Police Association of Victoria, determines the location and deployment of police officers to areas of highest need. This approach is endorsed by the government to safeguard the operational independence of Victoria Police and to ensure resourcing is determined by policing expertise and evidence, rather than politics.

Constituents in your Western Metropolitan Region are covered by three policing divisions within the North West Metro Region—Westgate Division, Brimbank Division, and Fawkner Division. As of 31 March 2019, these three divisions have had 308 full-time equivalent police officers deployed since November 2014. From May 2019 through to April 2020, 709 newly trained and recruited police officers will be deployed across the state. Under SAM, the Western Metropolitan Region will receive an additional 75 general frontline and specialist officers by April 2020.

This government continues to focus on family violence, through the deployment of 26 family violence specialist officers already deployed within the Western Metropolitan Region, with the upcoming allocation providing an additional 37 family violence specialist officers to service your constituents.