By REBECCA BILLS
POLICE numbers have been boosted in Victoria despite ALP candidate for Ferntree Gully Matt Posetti saying otherwise.
Mr Posetti said there were fewer frontline police officers in Ferntree Gully and Knox now than there were three years ago and criminal offences have increased.
“Victorian Police Freedom of Information documents reveal that of Victoria’s 56 police service areas (PSA) only six have more police now than in November 2010, and that Knox and another 19 PSAs have experienced cuts of more than 20 per cent to their frontline police,” he said.
“Between November 2010 and now, frontline police numbers in Knox alone have been cut from 152 to 114,” he said.
However, Sergeant Kris Hamilton said Victoria Police has more than 1500 extra operational police than it did in 2010.
“It is simply not accurate to suggest there is a crisis within the organisation,” he said.
“Looking at numbers within police station alone presents a skewed picture of how many police are working in an area because many of our police are not physically attached to the stations. “They are working in specialist squads, tackling family violence, organised crime and offending on our roads.”
Sgt Hamilton said despite police not always being based at local police station they are still working in the local communities helping to keep Victorians safe.
Minister for Police Kim Wells said the state Labor Party is desperately misleading Victorians with alarmist claims about police numbers in Victoria.
“The facts are the Coalition Government is on track to deliver 1700 additional frontline police by November this year at a cost of $602 million,” he said.
“This represents the single largest law enforcement recruitment exercise in Victoria’s history.”
Mr Wells said the small rise in the most recent official crime statistics can be largely attributed to an increase in the reporting of family violence.
“This is because additional police resources are taking increased action to bring breaches of family violence intervention orders before the courts,” he said.
“Simply put, more police means more crime detected, more criminals caught and safer communities.”
