By GEORGIA WESTGARTH
TWO member of the State Opposition – with the backing of a growing group of Casey residents – have called for a police station in Clyde.
The campaign on Facebook has 70 followers and about eight locals turned out on Thursday 11 August, to meet with Bass MP Brian Paynter and Eastern Victorian Region MP and Shadow Minister for Police Edward O’Donohue.
Campaigners Pat and Max Janssen have bought land in the Delaray estate, in Clyde, and were vocal at the meet.
Ms Janssen said: “When you think of the area between Berwick and Cranbourne and the up-and-coming estates there’s very limited resources around”.
The Janssen’s moved to Casey from Vermont South 12 months ago and weren’t pleased to hear of the increase in crime.
“We will continue to campaign for a police station in Clyde for as long as it takes,” she said.
“The government needs to start looking for land before it all disappears.
“I am concerned as more people move into the area, the roads become more congested and crime rises – it is a concern if we are going to be waiting 10 years for a police station to service Clyde.”
Mr Paynter and Mr O’Donohue addressed the group about the crime scourge at the Clyde Recreation Reserve.
“What we’ve had today was long-standing residents, new residents and a couple who are looking to come into the area and it’s critical for them to move into an area that they feel safe in,” Mr Paynter said.
“We feel the government is dropping the ball, crime has risen and crime in Clyde in particular has risen over 50 per cent which is a major concern.
“So what we’re asking for is that the government get on the front foot with this and firstly provide the police resources, but also the physical facilities and that is a station in Clyde.”
Mr O’Donohue said with crime up nearly 20 per cent in the City of Casey, in particular Endeavour Hills, a station in the highly populated south-east region is important.
“The simple fact is that there are fewer police in Casey at the police stations than there were in November 2014 despite the rise in crime and rise in population,” Mr O’Donohue said.
“I’ve been receiving contact for well over 12 months from people who are worried about the crime wave and police presence.
“And as we see congestion increase on Casey’s roads the distance from a police station to the location in time can increase, so it’s important to have an additional police station in the southern part of Casey.”
The Opposition’s campaign for a police station in Clyde comes as the State Government deploys 37 new graduates across the state.
The graduating police – 21 men and 16 women – have completed Victoria Police’s rigorous 33-week training program at the Glen Waverley Academy.
The next bout of trainees to join the academy over the next 12 months, include around 1000 new police, Protective Services Officers and Police Custody Officers.
A part of the State Government’s $596 million Public Safety Package, 300 frontline police are set to be deployed across Victoria.
The State Government reports that the roll-out of custody officers has been fast-tracked by six months, with 400 officers to be deployed by the end of 2017.
