Victoria Police to deploy hundreds of officers to family violence division, growth areas
HUNDREDS of police officers will be deployed across Victoria in a bid to tackle family violence and reduce crime. IS YOUR AREA GETTING MORE POLICE?
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HUNDREDS of new police officers will be deployed across Victoria in a bid to keep crime under control.
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton announced this morning that 825 police officers would be assigned to “areas of the highest need” over 12 months beginning in May.
More than 200 specialist family violence police will be deployed across the state, the first of almost 3000 new officers promised by the Andrews Government.
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Three hundred officers will be distributed across growth areas Geelong, Wyndham, Melton, Hume and Cardinia.
A further 93 officers are to be deployed in specialist areas such as road policing, counter-terrorism, intelligence, professional standards, transit and public safety.
Mr Ashton said the surge in officers would allow the police force to be “agile and responsive to the needs of the community”.
“At Victoria Police our absolute focus is on keeping people safe (and) to do that we need to be the best policing service we can be ... on the front foot, preventing crime and locking up offenders,” he said.
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“That is what we are creating in Victoria — using the significant investments made by the State Government to put more police on the streets with the right training and right equipment, able to respond and prevent crime where and when needed.”
Premier Daniel Andrews said the government had “fundamentally changed” the way police resources were allocated.
“This is the new normal — this police academy is full and it is going to stay full each month, each year,” he said.
“It used to be the case that it was a boom and bust cycle and the chief commissioner would get whatever politicians had promised just prior to Victorians going to the ballot box.”
Mr Andrews stressed the importance of family violence specialists.
“Given the nature of family violence and the prevalence of family violence, if we can have a specialist response that frees up general duties officers to be off responding to other issues (this) is exactly the right way to go,” he said.
Mr Ashton said 103 officers would fill parental leave positions while 121 officers would be spread among the police assistance line, online reporting and the Air Wing.
Today’s announcement represents the first deployment of the 2729 new officers announced by the Andrews Government in December 2016.
All 2729 are expected to be deployed by July 2022.
IS YOUR AREA GETTING MORE POLICE?
Additional Officers:
EASTERN REGION — 60
Forest Hill Division (52)
• Divisional Crime Investigation Unit (14)
• Divisional Sexual Offences & Child Abuse Investigation Unit (2)
• Divisional Highway Patrol (2)
• Whitehorse Police Service Area (12)
• Monash Police Service Area (12)
• Manningham Police Service Area (10)
Knox Division (4)
• Knox Police Service Area (2)
• Maroondah Police Service Area (2)
Goulburn Valley Division (2)
• Shepparton Police Service Area (2)
Bairnsdale Division (2)
• Wellington Police Service Area (2)
WESTERN REGION — 23
Geelong Division (19)
• Divisional Highway Patrol (2)
• Geelong Police Service Area (17)
Ballarat Division (4)
• Ballarat Police Service Area (3)
• Divisional Crime Investigation Unit (1)
SOUTHERN METRO REGION — 73
Prahran Division (19)
• Divisional Crime Investigation Unit (7)
• Port Phillip Police Service Area (6)
• Stonnington Police Service Area (6)
Moorabbin Division (22)
• Divisional Crime Investigation Unit (5)
• Divisional Sexual Offences & Child Abuse Investigation Unit (5)
• Kingston Police Service Area (8)
• Glen Eira Police Service Area (4)
Dandenong Division (32)
• Cardinia Police Service Area (6)
• Divisional Sexual Offences & Child Abuse Investigation Unit (4)
• Divisional Highway Patrol (12)
• Division Crime Investigation Unit (6)
• Divisional Crime Scene Services (4)
NORTH WEST METRO REGION — 144
Melbourne Division (13)
• Yarra Police Service Area (13)
Westgate Division (33)
• Divisional Crime Scene Services (1)
• Divisional Crime Investigation Unit (12)
• Hobsons Bay Police Service Area (6)
• Maribyrnong Police Service Area (2)
• Wyndham Police Service Area (12)
Brimbank Division (4)
• Melton Police Service Area (4)
Fawkner Division (45)
• Divisional Highway Patrol (5)
• Divisional Crime Investigation Unit (19)
• Divisional Crime Scene Services (4)
• Hume Police Service Area (15)
• Moreland Police Service Area (2)
Diamond Creek Division (49)
• Divisional Highway Patrol (2)
• Divisional Crime Investigation Unit (17)
• Divisional Crime Scene Services (6)
• Divisional Sexual Offences & Child Abuse Investigation Unit (2)
• Banyule Police Service Area (6)
• Darebin Police Service Area (8)
• Whittlesea Police Service Area (8)
The allocation of 208 family violence specialist roles in key locations are as follows:
EASTERN REGION — 61
• Box Hill (8)
• Knox (2)
• Bairnsdale (6)
• Morwell (10)
• Shepparton (5)
• Wangaratta (7)
• Benalla (3)
• Sale (5)
• Seymour (3)
• Wodonga (2)
• Croydon (6)
• Kilmore (2)
• Warragul (1)
• Wonthaggi (1)
WESTERN REGION — 54
• Ballarat (10)
• Bendigo (10)
• Geelong (9)
• Horsham (7)
• Mildura (7)
• Warrnambool (6)
• Swan Hill (5)
SOUTHERN METRO REGION — 37
• Dandenong (14)
• Moorabbin (7)
• Frankston (1)
• Prahran (6)
• Seaford (1)
• Somerville (8)
NORTH WEST METRO REGION — 44
• Caroline Springs (7)
• Fawkner (5)
• Melbourne West (6)
• Epping (2)
• Wyndham (6)
• Brimbank (2)
• Footscray (2)
• Mernda (5)
• Broadmeadows (3)
• Preston (3)
• Heidelberg (2)
• Laverton (1)
SPECIALIST COMMANDS — 12
• Transit & Public Safety Command (2)
• People Development Command (10)
Source: Victoria Police