Ashburton police station changes opening times

A POLICE station in Melbourne’s east has dropped its operating times to two days only a couple of years after the community won a battle to have it open fulltime.

The front door of Ashburton Police Station and Opening time sign Picture; Janine eastgate

JUST two years after the Ashburton community won a seven-day-a-week police station, it has been reduced to a two-day operation.

More than 600 residents and traders petitioned the then Liberal State Government for a fulltime police presence and were rewarded with $500,000 spent on renovating the Ashburton station.

But since the revamped station’s 2013 opening, police say it is being visited for an average of just 20 minutes a day.

Boroondara Inspector Steve Frost said the reductions in operating hours would not affect response times in the area, and the changes had come about after Victoria Police implemented a policy around safety of police officers after the Australian terror alert being raised to high.

“Local management conducted a review to determine how to best implement this policy to ensure employee safety while providing the best possible service to the community,” Inspector Frost said.

“In an effort to provide an effective and efficient police response to the Ashburton community, a decision was made to reduce counter service operating hours.

“At the end of the day, it’s a waste of resources to have a fulltime manned station which is being used by the community for just 20 minutes a day when our core business is to be out policing.”

Burwood state Liberal MP Graham Watt said the situation wouldn’t have arisen had the State Government been prepared to fund more police.

“Re-staffing the station was our commitment and it’s disappointing that less than a year in Labor coming to government, it’s got to this stage again,” Mr Watt said

But Police Minister Wade Noonan hit back saying the specific allocation of police resources was a matter for the chief commissioner under legislation brought in by the previous government.

“I do not decide the operational hours of police stations, and nor should I. These decisions sit firmly with the Chief Commissioner,” Mr Noonan said.

Ashburton Traders Association spokeswoman Liz Webb said while a seven day a week service was fantastic in the old days, modern changes meant a fulltime service wasn’t the same as it once was.

“I’m an advocate for community policing, I can’t see how having fulltime station helps the policing in the area, I’d much prefer to see more patrols,” Ms Webb said

The Ashburton Station will now be opened only on Tuesdays and Thursdays.