Question details
Northern Victoria Region
(1197) My question is to the Minister for Police on behalf of residents who are very concerned about increasing crime and cars being stolen in Bendigo and surrounding areas. I spoke with a lady whose family was asleep at home when their house was broken into and their car stolen. She said that detectives are beyond frustrated as teens go to court, are let off and are back on the streets within 24 hours, stealing again. Every day cars are being stolen, and police do not have the resources to keep up. Some offenders are just 14 years of age and drive at high speeds. Their reckless behaviour is putting others at risk. If a car is found, it is often damaged beyond repair. This week I saw burnout tyre marks on a main residential street in Flora Hill right in front of people’s homes. The Stolen Cars Melbourne Facebook page has over 83,000 followers, with countless posts about cars and trailers being stolen, including another vehicle stolen from Kangaroo Flat station. The Labor government weakened bail laws in March this year, and with over 1000 vacancies in Victoria Police and police from regional areas being called to assist with rising protests in Melbourne, what is the state government doing to address this issue?
The Allan Labor Government is committed to providing Victoria Police with the resources it needs to keep our growing community safe. The Government’s record $4.5 billion investment in Victoria Police has delivered 3,637 new sworn police officers, as well as state-of-the-art intelligence systems, new technology and new and upgraded police stations. The Government will continue to implement measures, including stronger laws such as the Youth Justice Act 2024, to ensure our police are equipped with the resources and powers they need to keep our community safe.
Victoria Police’s Neighbourhood Policing program focuses on increasing community safety at a local level and fostering greater engagement between communities, local businesses and local police. This approach to policing ensures local community concerns are central to decision making and has resulted in local police being more visible and accessible in the community in order to deter and prevent crime.
Your constituents can seek further information on how to get involved in this initiative by contacting their local police station or via the local Victoria Police Eyewatch page at https://www.facebook.com/eyewatchbendigo/.
Hon Anthony Carbines MP
Minister for Police
Minister for Crime Prevention
Minister for Racing