Williamstown Police announce temporary night closures

A western suburbs police station has closed at night due to staff shortages caused by border patrols — and it isn’t the only one.

Williamstown Police Station will close every night due to staff shortages caused by coronavirus border patrols at the New South Wales border. Picture: Andy Brownbill

Vital police resources drawn away by coronavirus border patrols have forced the temporary closure of at least one 24-hour Hobsons Bay police station.

Williamstown Police announced on its Facebook page it will close every night from 11pm to 7am for the foreseeable future.

Local Area Commander Inspector Tim O’Connor told the Leader on Tuesday the closures would affect the station’s watch house but not other police operations.

“We’re still running the normal patrols we usually run,” Insp O’Connor said.

But some social media users reacted furiously to the announcement, with one woman questioning if it was a cost-cutting measure.

“The western suburbs already have a major deficit in police stations open 24 hours,” the woman wrote.

“How do you proposed to have officers on the ground? How long will it be shut for?

“A sneaky Facebook post is really not what one would expect without any explanation at all.”

Others suggested Protective Services Officers could staff the front desk at night to keep the station’s doors open.

A police media spokeswoman confirmed a number of police stations across the state were affected by temporary closures.

The exact number could not be confirmed however because she said it was constantly changing.

“A number of Victoria Police stations will be closed or suspending their reception counter service while officers are deployed to border checkpoints and the mandatory quarantine program,” she said.

“Police response and our service delivery to the community will remain unchanged.”

Insp O’Connor said Altona Police Station would remain open to accept visits and calls at night and he encouraged anyone who needed police attention to call them, the Police Assistance Line, or in an emergency, to call triple-000.

“They (the community) should have no safety concerns,” Insp O’Connor said.

“While we’re in the COVID world of border closures and hotel quarantine it’s an appropriate course of action.”