Police command confirms: No cops for three years

ERIN PEARSON
GEELONG was unlikely to receive any significant numbers of extra police until 2014 when the expected Waurn Ponds police station was ready, Geelong police command has confirmed.
Geelong was allocated just two extra police between now and Christmas, according to the latest State Government announcement.
Geelong Superintendent Paul Pottage said the “imminent” Waurn Ponds station, due to open in 2014, was “holding back” Geelong’s officer allocations.
He said once the new station opened more officers were expected to follow.
“Until then we will do as we’ve been doing for many years,” he said.
“We’ve got a set resourcing profile and we do the best we can with that for the whole of the Bellarine and Geelong.
“We have blips with unfilled vacancies and people on sick leave who are difficult to replace but we’re in the same pecking order as the rest of Victoria.”
Once opened, the new Waurn Ponds station would require around 40 staff, Supt Pottage said.
The latest allocation brought Geelong’s 2011 total to 10 extra officers.
The Independent reported last week that Geelong police needed around 130 extra officers and was forced to close stations across the Bellarine as offices were moved to man 24-hour stations.
Police Association Secretary Greg Davies said stations across the state were screaming out for more officers.
He said Geelong deserved a “whole lot more”.
“Nothing’s changed from the situation as it was six months go, a year ago, three years ago,” he said.
“The problem is the Chief Commissioner can only allocate as many officers as State Government gives him.
“Everywhere is as under resourced as Geelong is.”
Victoria Police announced the allocation of 125 general duties positions across the state this week, to be deployed by the end of December 2011.
Brimbank would receive 13 uniformed police, Frankston 11 and Wyndham nine.
Seven general duties police positions would go to Ballarat, while Hume, Port Phillip and Greater Dandenong will each received six.
The additional police officers were part of a State Government recruitment of 1700 extra police by November 2014.