By Luke Voogt
Geelong’s top cop has ridiculed a TV report that labelled the city “ground zero” of Victoria’s “ice scourge”.
“Geelong is not the epicentre for ice in Victoria, it’s just not,” Superintendent Craig Gillard told the Indy.
“There’s no evidence anywhere to suggest that.
“You can go to areas in Melbourne and it’s far worse.”
Parts of Melbourne had up to triple the ice-related callouts of Geelong per capita, according to Ambulance Victoria statistics
During 2014/2015 greater Geelong recorded 39 crystal methamphetamine-related callouts per 100,000 residents, ranking the city 20th worst out of 79 Victorian municipalities.
Melbourne, Port Phillip and Latrobe recorded 124, 97 and 96 callouts per 100,000 respectively.
Geelong’s drug use and possession offences during the past financial year, at 346 per 100,000, were below the Victorian average of 406.
Supt Gillard, who appeared in A Current Affair’s report on Monday night, admitted Geelong had an ice problem but denied local police were “overwhelmed”.
“Yes, we’ve got ice here because some criminals choose to ply their trade in our town,” he said.
Drug use and possession offences in Geelong doubled in the past five years but most of the charges were the result of police work, Supt Gillard said.
“They’re police detected offences. That’s an indication of where our focus is and how we’re doing our job.
“I’m really comfortable in our approach towards the distribution and use of ice, and the related offences.”
Supt Gillard hoped 10 extra police, and more to come, would help fight ice crime in Geelong.
“Geelong is inherently a safe place and even more so with our crime down almost 10 per cent, and the majority of crime is done between people who are known to each other.”
Supt Gillard praised community and support groups helping local addicts beat addiction.
“Police can’t fix it all. We do all we can do reduce harm but we need support,” he said.
