Close Menu
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Read Our Newspapers Online
    • Read the Latest Western Port News
    • Read the Latest Mornington News
    • Read the Latest Southern Peninsula News
    • Read the Latest Frankston Times
    • Read the Latest Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News
  • Competition
  • Home New
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Wednesday, July 2
Breaking News
  • E-bike rider charged following fatal collision in Hastings
Facebook X (Twitter)
MPNEWSMPNEWS
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Home New
Breaking News
MPNEWSMPNEWS
Home»News»Drawings show police station ‘open to public’ – MP
News

Drawings show police station ‘open to public’ – MP

By Stephen TaylorDecember 1, 2015Updated:December 3, 2015No Comments2 Mins Read
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

THE row over public access to the new Somerville police complex continues, with Opposition Police Spokesman Ed O’Donohue saying original ground floor drawings for the station “clearly show a front counter and rooms for interviews”.   

He says comments by Detective Senior Sergeant Nick Vallas (The News, 17/11/2015) that the Somerville station was “never designed to be staffed by uniform police” are incorrect.

Ground floor drawings of the station “clearly show the front counter and rooms for interviews”, Mr O’Donohue said.

A letter from then Chief Commissioner Ken Lay to former Police Minister Kim Wells, in October 2014, says the station would be “open 16 hours a day”.

Mr O’Donohue says an email from the VicPol manager for capital works outlining the functions of the station supports this view: “I can assure you the new Somerville police station will not be an office block but, rather, it will contain all the generic elements of every 24-hour police station, including a public foyer, reception counter and private consultation rooms …” it stated.

“And, an email from the then Chief Commissioner’s chief of staff to the then-minister’s chief of staff [also] outlines the functions to be performed from Somerville. [It] includes a range of normal functions [that would be] undertaken from a standard operational police station,” he says.

The email says there “will be uniform police working in the station to handle inquiries, [with] shifts and times … determined by the regional assistant commissioner in consultation with the divisional management team based on demand data”.

Mr O’Donohue says reference to “uniformed police to handle inquiries” could be taken to mean the station would be open to the public.

“These four documents make it abundantly clear that not only was Somerville designed to be open as a functioning police station, the previous chief gave the then-minister a commitment that the station would be open initially 16 hours a day with a 24-hour coverage.”

First published in the Western Port News – 1 December 2015

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

Related Posts

Railway station scam

July 1, 2025

Flinders result unaffected by poll blunder – AEC

July 1, 2025

Grand Hotel’s tower revamp signals new chapter for icon

June 26, 2025

McCrae telco tower refused over visual impact

June 26, 2025
Add A Comment

Comments are closed.

Peninsula Essence Magazine – Click to Read
Peninsula Kids Magazine – Click to Read
Letters to the Editor
Property of the Week

14 Bass Street, McCrae

June 3, 2025
Council Watch

Shire secures $3.9m to tackle road safety

June 16, 2025

Kinder flyer flag snub prompts councillors to take over

June 10, 2025
100 Years Ago This Week

Baxter – On The ‘Wallaby’ with a walking group

July 1, 2025
Interview

Firefighter shows skills from sea to snow

February 5, 2024
Menu
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Home New
About

Established in 2006, Mornington Peninsula News Group (MPNG) is a locally owned and operated, independent media company.

MPNG publishes five weekly community newspapers: the Western Port News, Mornington News, Southern Peninsula News, Frankston Times and Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News.

MPNG also publishes two glossy magazines: Peninsula Essence and Peninsula Kids.

Facebook X (Twitter)
© 2025 Mornington Peninsula News Group.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.