Tuesday, 13 May 2025

 Trung LUU (Western Metropolitan) (18:59): (1606) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Police. In light of the increase in crime in the community and the frequent reduction in the operational hours of police stations, the action I seek is for the minister to urgently intervene to ensure the police stations in the Western Metropolitan Region are accessible to the public for a minimum of 16 hours of daily operations. Preferably, all stations are to be open for 24-hour access to the public. Residents in my region of Melbourne West are very concerned at the rise in crime. The most recent statistics from the Crime Statistics Agency highlight that over the past 12 months in Werribee and Point Cook there has been a 30 per cent increase in aggravated burglaries and robberies, an 83 per cent increase in residential aggravated burglaries, a 57 per cent increase in theft of motor vehicles, an 83 per cent increase in theft from motor vehicles and a 66 per cent increase in retail theft.

Meanwhile, as crime goes up, this Labor government’s solution is to continue its reduction in the hours of operation of police stations. The Wyndham North police station in Tarneit has had its hours reduced to 8 hours. A similar situation has occurred in Avondale Heights police station, Williamstown police station and Keilor Downs police station. As a former police officer, this is not how you serve the community – by shutting your door. Meanwhile, Sunbury police station’s hours have been revised to 16 hours, with the newest 24-hour police station being Gisborne, 20 k’s away.

In what way is the Labor government keeping Victorians safe with all these reductions in operation hours of police stations? This is not good enough. Victorians need to have access to police stations. The Premier and the police minister need to understand policing is a service; it is not a business. Police serve the community by opening their doors. Police stations should be available to the whole community a minimum of 16 hours per day, preferably 24/7. The government must return the operating hours of police stations to normal. I ask the minister to urgently intervene, overturn their decision and open police stations for the public.