Northern Victoria Region
Gaelle BROAD (Northern Victoria) (13:00): (1466) My question is to the Minister for Police regarding escalating crime and antisocial and dangerous behaviour in Bendigo and surrounding towns and the need for additional protective service officers in the town and on public transport. I have spoken with local retail businesses that have been targeted by young thugs, including experiencing property damage, theft and personal attacks. Local residents have also reported serious antisocial behaviour on public transport, including Gwen, a lady in her 70s, who witnessed a young girl abusing staff, and another elderly couple who were left shaken after a man threatened their lives and those of young school students at the Bendigo train station. The Nationals have been advocating for more PSOs in regional areas for years. There is a PSO presence at 212 train stations in Melbourne, but only four stations in all of regional Victoria have a part-time PSO presence. I ask the minister to commit to allocating more funding for PSOs to increase their presence in regional towns and on public transport and ensure the community is protected.