Community questions why Ashburton police station closed 80 per cent of time
A police station in Melbourne’s leafy east was open just 13 out of 70 days mid-last year as crimes including theft and burglary were on the rise. But despite calls for it to be manned more often, police say there are other ways they’re protecting the community.
Inner East
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A police station in a suburb which has had a rise of almost a quarter in reported crimes in the past year has been closed 80 per cent of the time during a three-month stint, raising community concerns over a lack of staffing.
A freedom of information request from Southern Metropolitan Region state Liberal MP David Davis revealed police members were at the Ashburton station only 13 times between July 21 and September 28 last year — a period of 70 days.
But Victoria Police has moved to reassure the community it is fully covering the area and its officers are at their most effective out in the neighbourhood rather than behind the desk.
Mr Davis said it was “unacceptable” to have police personnel present at Ashburton station only 19 per cent of the time.
In a letter to residents, Mr Davis said more police were needed on the beat and police stations manned due to drug-related crime, home invasions and carjackings being “serious issues”.
“We believe a visible police presence is a deterrent to crime, an essential service and a core responsibility of state governments,” he said.
“I can only hope that no one is seriously injured or, God forbid, killed as a result of not having an adequate police presence in Ashburton.”
The latest Crime Statistics Agency data, from the year ending September 2019, showed 411 criminal incidents in Ashburton — up 24 per cent from the previous year’s tally of 331.
The bulk of the rise was due to a steep increase in thefts to 176, almost half of the total offences, while there were 55 counts each of burglary break and enter and property damage. There were also 33 recorded assaults.
RACV data showed there was a burglary rate of one in 79 homes in the 3147 postcode, which also covers Ashwood, during 2019 — substantially higher than the council average (one in 123) and across Victoria (one in 91 homes).
In response to posts on the Progress Leader and Monash Leader’s Facebook pages, locals were in support of a greater police presence.
Bianca Gold said it “definitely” needed more funding “to be open more”, while Giulietta Petrone thought it was “a shame to see the facility under-utilised”.
But Brad Hill questioned the need for more officers at the station: “Why do you need police officers behind a counter, instead of patrolling the streets? I don’t get it.”
Eastern Region Division 1 Superintendent Wayne Viney said that while Ashburton was not a 24-hour police station, the local community received “a 24-hour police response in the Boroondara” area.
“Local police are confident they are providing an effective policing response to the Ashburton community, supported by specialist units that work around the clock across the wider Boroondara area,” he said.
“It is more effective to have our officers mobile — investigating and attending scenes of crime — rather than sitting behind a desk at a police station.
“Our officers work extremely hard every day and night to keep Ashburton residents and everyone living in the Boroondara … area safe.”
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The station is open for general inquiries from 9am to 5pm on Mondays and Thursdays. The community can seek police help from the Camberwell station at 317 Camberwell Rd outside those hours.
“It is important that if you require police assistance you call 000 so the nearest police unit can be tasked to assist,” Supt Viney said.