Thursday, 4 May 2023

Berwick electorate police resources

Brad BATTIN (Berwick) (17:18): (155) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Police. I ask the Minister for Police to come out and meet community representatives from Berwick and Clyde North in relation to some of the issues around crime through the area. What we have seen is an increase in cars that have been stolen and in people being fearful in their homes with some of the break-ins down there. The community is starting to come together and talk about this. It is not just online; they have been approaching our office now and also their local media about, when they call police, the call-out times – how long it takes Victoria Police to arrive – and some of the issues with people hanging around in the street and, when they call in suspicious behaviour, whether the police have the resources to turn up or not. I think it is important that the minister comes out and meets with this group to talk to them about some of the issues. We would like to actually have some proactive discussions around ways we can put things in place to try and prevent the crime, but police numbers would be the number one.

One of the issues through the area is the Clyde North police station, which was committed to be open and operating by the 2018 election and then was recommitted again to be done and open by the 2022 election. Now the only thing that has been done for that police station is there is a sign saying that it will be ready by 2025. I know all the members that represent that area have seen growth in such numbers that most infrastructure will not keep up with it, but the infrastructure around ensuring we have safety should and must be put in as a priority.

The land is available. We have been calling on the government to build the station for a long period of time. If we had the station, we could start putting Victoria Police in there, and I think then you would actually start to see people would feel safer. The perception of safety would be higher, and we would be able to have a police vehicle responding through those areas which are difficult to get to. We have got Narre Warren police station and Cranbourne police station. Both do a wonderful job. They do struggle with numbers at the moment. Both of them have vacancies that are causing them some concerns. The difficulty with both those stations is that with roadworks that are going on in the area, when they are called out to respond that can delay them. That is not their fault. Obviously when you get onto Clyde Road and Clyde Road is partly closed or to some of the intersections that maps show you can go through but when you get there you cannot get through, it makes it a real challenge for the response times for Victoria Police down there.

We at the last election committed to bringing in response times. I know the Police Association Victoria want response times, and maybe that is something that we could have a discussion around. If we brought in response times, what would be the reaction from the government and from Victoria Police then when there is something on record, the same as fire and ambulance, when they have to start to have a response time that is acceptable to the Victorian community? Maybe then management may start to have discussions around what their minimum service response is and minimum service requirements. If we could get it to that position, I think that would be fantastic. I ask the minister to come down for a constructive conversation with my local community to talk about police response times and Clyde North police station.