Question details
Lang Lang community safety
(752) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Crime Prevention and Minister for Police, and it relates to improving community safety and policing in the town of Lang Lang. Responding to the community’s needs for improved public safety, the action I seek from the minister is to instigate crime prevention initiatives, including an increased police presence in the region and in the town and the installation of CCTV in public areas in conjunction with the local shire.
Much to the dismay of locals, the police presence in Lang Lang has been stripped down to the bone under this government. Nine years ago Lang Lang’s valued one-person police station was reduced to one day a week, and even that was part-time. Residents and local traders have raised their community concerns recently with me about the loss of this one-person station, and I thank Mr Brian Candy for organising this important meeting.
There have been criminal and antisocial disturbances in the commercial area of Lang Lang, drug crime, break-ins, vandalism and road safety issues, and even the police station has been a target in that area. Residents are justifiably concerned. Crime statistics for both Lang Lang and nearby Koo Wee Rup feature in the top five towns in the Cardinia shire, and both towns have had their one-man police station removed. The population of Lang Lang has grown by 73 per cent since 2016 and is forecast to grow by 120 per cent over the next 16 years. Crime stats in Lang Lang of 214 criminal offences are up by 80 per cent, spearheaded by crimes against the person, which are up by 228 per cent. At a recent community safety forum VicPol acknowledged the concerns of locals.
If there is an incident at night, VicPol is dispatched often from Emerald 1 hour away. As captured in the Cardinia shire draft livability plan, the residents told the council that improving safety across the shire is of vital importance.
It is well known that CCTV is effective in situational crime prevention at a local level, and in advocating for her community councillor Kaye Cameron has twice called for CCTV in Lang Lang, but their budget is tight again as in all our local shire councils. Currently the shire does have CCTV in Pakenham and Koo Wee Rup monitored by VicPol in Pakenham and Dandenong, so this system certainly can be expanded into regions. Again I call on the minister to find the funding in the May budget to improve these safety measures, including increasing that police presence and the installation of CCTV in public areas.
Violence of any kind is unacceptable. Whilst Victoria is beginning to see many statistics return to normal levels following the impacts of the pandemic, the incident rate in the Cardinia local government area remains well below the state average.
Operational matters including the deployment of resources are strictly a matter for the Chief Commissioner of Police. However, I can confirm that the Lang Lang police station forms part of the Cardinia cluster which includes Emerald, Koo Wee Rup and Bunyip Police stations. These stations are managed by a Senior Sergeant at Emerald police station. While these stations are non-24-hour police stations, each station provides a counter service between 9am – 5pm on scheduled days.
Your constituents can be assured that Victoria Police can and will deploy additional resources including specialist units such as Highway patrol, to Cardinia as required, to respond to planned events and emerging trends in the community. Operation Trinity is an example of an operation which covers the Lang Lang and Cardinia communities aimed at preventing aggravated burglaries.
Cardinia Council funds two mobile CCTV trailers, with a live feed function, accessible to police for use across the Shire. Standard operating procedures govern the use of these trailers and take into consideration a range of factors including crime statistics and community perceptions of safety. Victoria Police and Cardinia Council work closely to ensure the use of CCTV trailers across the local government area is based on demonstrated need. A trailer has been deployed several times during the past 12 months in the Lang Lang area.
The Allan Labor Government is committed to providing Victoria Police with the resources it needs to keep our growing community safe. The 2022-2023 Victorian Budget provided $342 million in funding for an additional 502 police and 50 protective service officers, building on the more than 3,100 additional police officers already on the frontline. This investment has enabled the allocation of an additional sergeant and two other ranks to the Cardinia Police Service Area.
Hon Anthony Carbines MP
Minister for Police
Minister for Crime Prevention
Minister for Racing