Surf Coast police concerns part of wider crisis ‘crippling’ force

There are calls to ramp up police presence on the Surf Coast but staff shortages across Victoria Police means resources are already “stretched thin”.

There are calls to ramp up police patrols on the Surf Coast to help deter criminals but the Police Association of Victoria secretary Wayne Gatt, pictured, says the force is already “stretched thin”.

There are calls to ramp up police presence along the Surf Coast, but staff shortages across the state’s force means resources are already “stretched thin”.

Earlier this month, thieves broke into Steve Gatter’s Torquay warehouse in the middle of the night and stole $80,000 worth of tools in a brazen height.

Mr Gatter, who owns three business which operate out of the warehouse, said thieves used a hacksaw to gain entry and stole his excavator, worth $50,000, and tool boxes.

“I honestly think if there was more police presence on the Surf Coast, this wouldn’t happen,” he said.

“The police did a great job for us and the officer we dealt with was great … but the biggest deterrent is going to be marked police cars being in the area.”

It was recently revealed officers from 98 one-man stations across Victoria would be forced from their posts and rostered out to larger regional communities.

There are four one-man stations across the Surf Coast - Beeac, Birregurra, Forrest and Lavers Hill.

The region only has two 24 hour police stations, including one in Geelong’s CBD and another in Corio.

Police Association Victoria secretary Wayne Gatt said staff shortages on the Surf Coast were representative of a “wider resourcing crisis crippling police”.

Police Association Victoria secretary Wayne Gatt says staff shortages are “crippling” the force. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

He said Victoria Police had about 800 unfilled vacancies, as well as staff off sick.

“The government’s commitment to 502 extra police means absolutely nothing while you are that many officers down,” Mr Gatt said.

“Every day, communities like the Surf Coast are seeing the results of that shortfall.”

Mr Gatt said officers wanted to be able to provide the best possible service and coverage in their communities, but were “getting stretched so thin that there’s only so much they can do”.

Victoria Police documents stated there were 261.61 police officers employed in the Greater Geelong service area and 91.89 in the Surf Coast service area, as of June 2023.

This was compared to the same time period last year with 268.76 in Greater Geelong and 88.26 on the Surf Coast.

Surf Coast Inspector Ilena Pucar said police patrolled nightly to respond to urgent incidents and to prevent crime before it could occur.

“We know crime is most effectively detected and deterred when police officers are out in the community rather than behind a desk at a police station,” she said.

Insp Pucar said crime on the Surf Coast was a “decade-low levels”.

A Victorian Government spokeswoman said it had provided funding for 3600 new police officers since 2016 as part of a $4.5bn investment.

“We’ve funded Victoria Police to help them run an extensive recruitment campaign to invite more people to consider a job in policing.”

Liberal police spokesman Brad Battin said: “With more than 800 vacancies the Andrews Government are stealing frontline police from regional areas to backfill in metro 24-hour stations, this is making many communities more unsafe.”

Originally published as Surf Coast police concerns part of wider crisis ‘crippling’ force