By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
NORLANE and Lara residents are concerned about limited police presence in their suburbs, according to the state opposition.
Shadow police minister Jacinta Allan said the residents were worried about their security after a promised 70 extra police for Geelong failed to materialise.
She said the failure preceded an increase in crime rates jump and threats to services as basic as catching a taxi.
The Independent revealed earlier this year that Geelong Taxi Network had given drivers a green light to snub calls for taxis in the northern suburbs if they feared responding might be a safety risk.
“It is not good enough for this government to promise Geelong it will get 70 additional police and then to simply walk away from that promise,” Ms Allan said this week.
“Crime rates reduced for 10 years under the former Labor government and since taking office, crimes rates in Geelong have spiked significantly under the Napthine Liberal government.
“Under the Napthine Liberal Government officers are being pulled from Corio, Lara and the Bellarine Peninsula to cover staffing shortages in Geelong.
“This not only places additional pressure on officers and force command to juggle a lack of resources it also puts the Geelong community at risk.
“We now have a situation in the northern suburbs of Geelong where taxi drivers are scared to service the area because of threats of violence and attacks on their taxi cabs.”
Mr Eren said local families and businesses were suffering because of the failure to deliver extra police.
“The Napthine Government has turned a blind eye to rising crime rates, abandoning the communities of Corio, Norlane and Lara,” Mr Eren said.
“Lara is a growth suburb and many within the local community have serious and grave concerns about the operational hours and resourcing of the new Lara Police Station.”
But Police and Emergency Services Minister Kim Wells has hit back, blaming the previous Labor government for leaving Victoria with the least frontline police per capita of any state in Australia.
“The Coalition Government has made a record investment in frontline policing to reverse the chronic neglect left by the previous Labor government, in which Jacinta Allan was a senior minister,” Mr Wells said.
“The deployment of the extra 1700 police recruited through our record investment is an operational matter for Victoria Police.”
