Lab bust leads to call for more cops

MICHELLE HERBISON
ST LEONARDS residents will push for more police in the region following a clandestine drug lab bust this week, according to a community representative.
St Leonards Progress Association secretary Paul Sproule said he already planned to beg Police Minister Peter Ryan for more resources before the discovery of the $15 million drug lab on Manifold Rd.
“We will get on the bandwagon and try to help get some more policemen,” Mr Sproule said.
“The drug lab makes it something a bit more substantial now because it’s alarming for people. If there were more police available in the region we’d see more of a presence in St Leonards.”
Mr Sproule said recent Neighbourhood Watch figures revealed an “alarming” increase in burglaries around the area.
He urged St Leonards residents at a meeting this week to call Crime Stoppers if they noticed suspicious activity.
“As an ex-copper, I know it’s the people that take the time to pass on information that builds a case. We can’t expect the police to be everywhere.”
Police arrested four men after recovering 15kg of amphetamines from the St Leonards lab, which was likened to facilities previously run under crime figures Tony Mokbel and Carl Williams.
Progress association president Bob Hynes said he had noticed a “big increase” of crime in St Leonards.
“It’s just crazy here over the summer season,” Mr Hynes said.
“We’re really under-resourced in a lot of ways.”
Labor Member for Western Victoria Gayle Tierney urged the Police Minister in parliament this week to put more police in Geelong.
“The people of Geelong, along with the police officers who tirelessly serve the Geelong community, have a right to feel safe on the streets and in their homes.”
Ms Tierney said the region’s police shortage was “constantly” threatening temporary closures of stations at Ocean Grove, Drysdale, Portarlington, Queens-cliff and Lara.
Mr Ryan said Geelong would have a share in 850 additional police across Victoria by June 30.
“While the allocation of police resources is an operational decision for police command, I have relayed Geelong police resources to the Chief Commissioner.”