By Nicole Precel
HOBSONS Bay has missed out on increased police resources.
Ten areas were selected for a priority list, identified as the busiest and most in need of more resources, including Maribyrnong, Wyndham, Brimbank and Melton. The new police would include an extra 450 Police Academy graduates this year and also 266 police who would be redeployed back into front-line roles.
Hobsons Bay Acting Inspector Paul Allinson said the deployment was driven by need.
“The greatest need at the moment within that cluster is Wyndham, because of the expanding population and the number of calls for assistance and general work that’s being done,” he said.
Altona Traders Association president Kim Walsh said the community shared a good relationship with the police, but that more resources were still needed. “Werribee was skin and bones as far as police were concerned because it was a growing area. But certainly Hobsons Bay, places like Altona North, have always struggled as far back as I can remember,” he said.
Laverton police station also remains a part-time station. Police said the list was compiled on the basis of operational activity, operational demand, emerging trends, community perceptions and organisational capacity.
Acting Insp Allinson said special operations in the West were benefiting Hobsons Bay.
“I suppose the good part out of it from the standpoint of people in the inner west is two of the areas have been topped up with resources,” he said.
“The way we work these days is we do a lot of cross border operations, it’s quite likely you’ll have operations being conducted in Hobsons Bay with people from Wyndham, Brimbank and Hobsons Bay. All up the area is a significant winner.”
