The Allan Government must immediately rule out a return to one up policing and put community safety and officer welfare ahead of cost cutting measures.
The Nationals’ Member for Eastern Victoria Melina Bath said Labor’s plan to return to solo policing is a direct consequence of its appalling financial mismanagement on Big Build projects.
“Victoria’s police officers put their lives on the line every day to keep our communities safe and the Allan Government is abandoning them to save a dollar.
“Our state is in a crime crisis with weapons offences, aggravated burglaries, carjackings and fire bombings now commonplace.
“With police operating in an increasingly dangerous environment, Labor should be focused on protecting officers – not pursuing a policy that could leave them facing high risk situations alone.”
Ms Bath said family members of Victorian Police Officers deserve the confidence that their loved ones will return home safely at the end of every shift.
“More than a decade ago, the Victorian Coroner concluded that one up policing could not be conducted safely.
“It is deeply concerning that Labor is entertaining a return to a policing model that was comprehensively assessed and ultimately deemed unsafe.
“The Nationals have a clear plan to improve officer and community safety by boosting police numbers by 3,000 – we will also address the recruitment blockages creating significant delays in officer training at the Victorian Police Academy.
“If the Premier wants to save money, she should start with the billions wasted on Big Build corruption that has occurred under her watch.
“The Allan Government must rule out a return to one up policing, focus on properly resourcing Victoria Police and support the brave officers who keep our communities safe.”
