Melton City Council to ask Police Minister and Chief Police Commissioner for more resources
A council in Melbourne’s west will take the extraordinary step of writing to the head of Victoria Police to get more troops on the ground.
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Residents in Victoria’s fastest growing region are calling for an increased police presence to combat crime and keep up with the surging population growth.
The City of Melton, located in Melbourne’s booming western corridor, is forecast to welcome 235,000 new residents by 2051 — an average annual growth of 2.81 per cent.
At a recent meeting, Melton’s councillors passed a motion requesting an update from the Police Minister and Police Commissioner on securing additional resources.
Councillor Justine Farrugia moved the motion which highlighted newly established communities, as well as Caroline Springs, and sought assurance that police numbers would align with projected population growth.
In 2021, the council wrote to the Police Minister seeking a similar assurance and requested an increased police presence and improved response times across Victoria.
The acting Police Minister Danny Pearson said that deployment of officers was guided by a staffing allocation model which ensured resources are allocated based on evidence, policing experts and operational needs.
Mr Pearson also advised that growth corridors were prioritised.
Melton Local Area Commander Inspector Lisa Prentice-Evans said 57 additional officers were deployed across Melton and Brimbank between 2018 and 2021.
“The Melton community has a strong and dedicated police presence that services the community 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Ms Prentice-Evans said.
An additional 20 general duties officers were allocated to the Melton across those three years, with 12 allocated to shared divisional teams which service the area.
A police spokeswoman said the distribution of officers since 2022 would be announced at a later time.
Thornhill Park community advocate Matt Pearse said the lack of police in his area was noticeable and it was clear the growth corridor needed additional resources.
“It puts pressure on other police officers across Melton when stations such as Caroline Springs are only open part-time,” Mr Pearse said.
“I’ve seen reports that indicate crime such as break-ins and similar crimes as far more likely in our suburbs compared to the rest of Melbourne, it’s just not good enough.
“There are many people here that would definitely welcome a greater police presence, as our community grows we need the critical infrastructure.”
Melton Mayor Lara Carli said recent population figures showed Melton was Victoria’s fastest growing municipality.
“We want clarity from the Victorian Government that they still prioritise new police resourcing in growth suburbs,” Ms Carli said.
“With new housing estates rapidly taking shape, it is important that resources are being deployed strategically to keep residents safe.
Victoria Police and the Police Minister were contacted for comment.
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