GOVERNMENT PATHETIC ON EAST GIPPSLAND POLICE CRISIS

Calls for action on police numbers in East Gippsland have received a ‘pathetic’ response from the State Government, according to Eastern Victoria MP Peter Hall.

“I raised this matter in Parliament last month (March) because of concerns by constituents,” Mr Hall said. “The response of the Police and Emergency Services Minister has been to handball it back to the Police Command, and it is a hospital handpass at that.

“The police force can only do what it can do with existing resources; I believe in this case there is a clear need for the State Government to provide more resources to the police force to let them do their job.”

The response from the Minister said, in part, “decisions on the placement of police throughout the state are operational matters and are made by the police command on the basis of assessed need. It is important that this process is not subject to political interference.”

But Mr Hall said the issue was not one of interference; rather it was about resourcing.

Mr Hall raised the matter in Parliament last month following a tour of East Gippsland and discussions with local community members.

At that time only three of the eight positions at Orbost were filled and the Police Association had suggested there were seven vacancies at the Orbost police station. As well the Traffic Operations Group at Orbost had not been fully staffed for at least three years. While theoretically Lakes Entrance is to become a 24-hour station, it does not have the resources to meet its current 16-hour service provision.

Mr Hall said police members were being forced to work extremely long hours to provide services and, when times are desperate, call in officers from other stations.

“The sharing of resources between police stations is a common and usual practice for the police, to ensure the numbers are appropriately spread and shifts are covered, but when nearby police stations are also low on numbers there are simply not enough officers to go around,” Mr Hall said.

Mr Hall’s tour also revealed that there are only two officers at Cann River, who are expected to provide a 16-hour service.

“The reality is that the Government is responsible for resourcing the police; that is why we have a Police and Emergency Services Minister,” Mr Hall said. “The Government needs to act and act quickly to provide the police force with the resources it needs to do its job, and in the case of East Gippsland, that is more officers.”