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
Monday, July 7
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»Police stretched in holiday crush
News

Police stretched in holiday crush

By Stephen TaylorNovember 12, 2018Updated:July 16, 2024No Comments3 Mins Read
Parking bonus: One idea to increase shire revenue is to charge tourists for car parking. Picture: Yanni
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

A LONG-SERVING officer has amplified fears the southern Mornington Peninsula is facing a desperate shortage of front-line police this holiday period.

The 20-year veteran, who asked not to be named, said Rosebud police station was operating at only 31 per cent capacity at a time when the peninsula was expecting the usual holiday surge to bump up numbers from 180,000 to 500,000 people.

The massive influx makes the region especially “volatile”, the officer said. Jam-packed roads and limited access and egress – especially on the eastern side of the peninsula – exacerbate the problem. So, too, do the high number of events and attractions from Dromana to Portsea, such as the sand sculpting, polo, concerts, fairgrounds and schoolies “all coming down on Peninsula Link”.

The officer said senior command was restricting the usual allocation of extra full-time police – about 25 officers from stations such as Dandenong and Cranbourne – to a “couple of police on two hours’ overtime from Frankston”.

This curbing of reinforcements is being driven by the reluctance of senior stations Dandenong and Springvale to release crews so as not to “ruin their crime stats”, the officer said.

Divisional Superintendent Adrian White on Friday played down concerns about a lack of police numbers, saying “rank and file police don’t have the broader view” over resource allocation.

“There is no shortage of police on the Mornington Peninsula,” he said.

“We task to suit demand and we have the numbers to adequately police the region over the holiday period.”

Of the 580 serving police covering Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula, about 30 per cent are off duty at any one time. “We operate at 70 per cent deployment,” Superintendent White said.

But the unnamed officer said the deployment figures were “far worse” at Rosebud, with the usual staff of 60 reduced by 18 off on WorkCover issues, such as stress. The complement falls further with nine police on leave at any one time, others on rest days after night shift, and those on the usual four days off per fortnight.

The officer said the allocation of 12 trainees at Rosebud who “can’t go out alone” was “burning out senior constables”.

“We haven’t replaced police we have lost and putting on trainees isn’t the answer. We are going to get smashed this summer. We are struggling to fill shifts already and schoolies has just started …

“We can’t even run a van on afternoon shifts.”

Superintendent White talked down concerns that the temporary – although significant – population hike on the peninsula would lead to an increase in crime. “It doesn’t necessarily follow,” he said. “Our intel and data shows that the increased population does not mean more police are needed.”

He said the rapid deployment of extra police, such as highway patrol, tactical units and other front line officers ready for deployment at Rosebud or other peninsula stations, was adequate.

“We have the ability to adjust our resources,” he said. “There is no crisis.”

First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 13 November 2018

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

Related Posts

Life-saving acts recognised

July 7, 2025

Advocates celebrate abuse law change

July 3, 2025

Railway station scam

July 1, 2025

Flinders result unaffected by poll blunder – AEC

July 1, 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.