By Brendan Rees
City of Casey could be earmarked for new CCTV cameras in a bid to boost community safety, the Liberals have promised if they win the State Election.
Casey Council will be able to identify areas within their community such as park edges and shopping areas that attract a higher rate of crime and implement measures to stop anti-social behaviour.
The Liberals have promised grants of up to $250,000 which will be made available to Casey Council to develop public safety and security infrastructure like CCTV systems, improved lighting and creating local solutions to local crime.
The announcement follows other community focused crime prevention measures announced by the Liberal Nationals including:
• Establishing highly visible Police shopfronts in 12 major shopping centres.
• Re-establish a ‘Police in Schools’ program, to allow police to better engage with young Victorians.
• Fund the establishment of a Victoria Police Mobile CCTV camera rollout and;
• Commit $2 million over four years to Neighbourhood Watch for local crime prevention initiatives.
Leader of the Opposition, Matthew Guy said: “This election Victorians will have a choice between more of the same soft approach from Daniel Andrews or the Liberal Nationals zero tolerance approach to violent criminals.”
However, Minister for Police Lisa Neville said the State Government had increased funding in this year’s budget with an additional $25 million towards crime prevention projects including lighting and CCTV.
“Crime rose every year when the Liberals were last in Government. We are only now beginning to turn around the six year crime wave, which started in 2011 when the Liberals decided to not fund a single new police officer,” she said.
“Our investments in new police, technology and in community crime prevention are already having an impact with crime rates across the state continuing to decline.”
The State Government invested $2 billion which is currently delivering an extra 3135 officers across the state.
