By Paul Millar
POLICE Command will review resources on the Bellarine Peninsula following community outrage about roster changes.
State Government this week announced a six-month review of policing in the region, which would involve “local participation”.
Police and Emergency Services Minister Kim Wells asked Chief Commissioner Ken Lay to conduct the review in consultation with the community.
Both men toured the region on Tuesday.
“The Napthine Government has listened to the people of the Bellarine Peninsula. They want a say in how policing will look into the future and we will provide them an avenue to be heard,” Mr Wells said.
“That feedback period will cover the busy summer months when the population on the peninsula rises significantly.”
Labor Member for Bellarine Lisa Neville, who spearheaded a campaign against reduced opening hours at stations on the peninsula, said the Government was not serious about addressing local concerns.
“If they were serious about this then they’d put an immediate hold on the changes to policing on the Bellarine until the review is complete,” she said.
Residents have expressed concern over police plans to wind back opening hours at Drysdale, Portarlington and Queenscliff stations while increasing patrols from the peninsula’s regional station at Ocean Grove.
Police Association secretary Ron Iddles said the review announcement validated the union’s concerns that “the recent downgrading of police stations was made prematurely without public consultation”.
“Despite this decision we’re still concerned that Bellarine won’t have a dedicated patrol van at night as it will also cover Geelong and as far as Little River,” the former leading homicide detective said.
“On the broader issue of police resources in the City of Greater Geelong, our research shows that we don’t have sufficient numbers of first-response officers to adequately combat the scourge of drug-related crime, family violence and street assaults.”
Detective Senior Sergeant Iddles said Greater Geelong had only 196 first-response officers, or police who responded to triple 0 calls.
“This number translates to a police-population ratio of 86 first-response officers for every 100,000 people, well below the state average of 102 for every 100,000.
“Our research shows that Greater Geelong needs an additional 53 first-response officers to be on a par with the state average ratio while keeping pace with the eight per cent population growth forecast for the region over the next five years.”
