Crime rates in Bendigo have soared since the Victorian Labor Government took office, research by the Victorian Liberal Nationals Coalition shows.
Shadow Minister for Police and Leader of The Nationals Peter Ryan said over the past 10 years, assault had jumped by 67 per cent and violent crime had risen by 65 per cent.
“The Brumby Government’s failure to invest in more frontline police has seen an alarming rise in violent crime in Bendigo,” Mr Ryan said.
“The Bendigo community urgently needs more police but Jacinta Allan and Bob Cameron refuse to admit there’s a serious problem.
“An analysis of police statistics obtained under Freedom of Information laws shows incidents of violent crime in Bendigo have risen from 548 in 2000-01 to 903 in 2008-09.
“The number of assaults rose from 404 in 2000-01 to 675 in 2008-09. In the past year alone, the rate of assault in the Bendigo region has spiked by 7.5 per cent.”
Mr Ryan said Bendigo’s rise in crime was no surprise to many in the local community, who had repeatedly expressed concern about the thin blue line being stretched to capacity.
“The Brumby Government spends less per person than any other state in Australia on policing and Victoria has the fewest police per person of all states,” Mr Ryan said.
“Labor is no longer listening to Victorians – communities in the city and the country are fed up with the government’s ‘soft on crime’ approach.
“Local police are doing a great job but they need more numbers on the front line.
“The Brumby Government is jeopardising the safety of the community and local police by refusing to recruit more frontline police to address rising crime levels.
“Bendigo desperately needs more resources and extra police to help tackle these serious law and order problems,” Mr Ryan said.
Media contact: Stephanie Ryan (03) 9651 8520
