Top cop on empty stations: Beat first for police

By Michelle Herbison
BELLARINE Peninsula residents need to shake the belief their police stations must always be staffed, according to a senior cop.
Acting Superintendent Nigel Howard said putting police on the beat rather than behind desks was best.
He was responding to Bellarine MP Lisa Neville raising concerns in parliament last week about a police roster reshuffle.
Ms Neville said a recent report indicating the peninsula was without on-duty police for about five hours on a Saturday night was “totally unacceptable and extremely distressing”.
But Act Supt Howard said police should work from their cars.
“We don’t need people sitting in police stations.
“The community’s got to get away from this idea. We’ve got to move with the times.”
Act Supt Howard said residents could contact Geelong’s station for police attendance when smaller peninsula police stations were empty.
Police would continue to service the peninsula and a plan to change police rosters for summer aimed to “share the resources we have available”, he said.
“Why do we need a policeman sitting in the station at 7am on a Sunday morning if no one comes in? Would you open your business if you had the data to say you didn’t get any customers at that time?
“The residents of the Bellarine Peninsula and the City of Greater Geelong will not be deprived of policing services. What we’re trying to do is provide the best possible policing services available with the resources available to us at the time.”
Ms Neville in parliament also urged the government to “review a decision to roster Bellarine police in Geelong and Corio and not to provide additional police in Bellarine during the peak summer months”.
“The decision is a short-sighted, cost-cutting exercise that puts at risk the reputation of Bellarine as a safe, peaceful destination.”
Act Supt Howard said Ms Neville’s comments were “a bit misleading” because police would make decisions on a summer staffing plan in August.
The Independent reported this month that a meeting between Geelong police and officers-in-charge at peninsula stations revealed a rift in their opinions on a staffing overhaul. Geelong area commander Inspector Gary Bruce said he was reviewing the way police serviced the peninsula to ensure efficiency this summer.