But the force will be with you – on patrol
COUNTER hours at police stations in Mornington and Hastings will be reduced due to statewide staff shortages and a plan to “focus on the frontline”.
In a move announced late on Friday 3 November, Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner regional operations Neil Paterson said Victoria Police would temporarily reduce reception counter hours at 43 stations across the state.
Counter hours at Mornington will be reduced from 24 hours to 16 from Sunday to Wednesday and remain 24 hours the rest of the week.
At Hastings, a 24-hour manned station, counter hours will drop to 16 hours a day.
Hours at some of the busier 24-hour stations, such as Rosebud, will remain unchanged.
As a result of the changes, officers formerly rostered on reception shifts will instead be used for frontline policing duties, and ommunity patrols.
Paterson said that when a station reception counter was closed, police would be patrolling the local area and in many cases, still working from within the station.
“This gives police the best opportunity to respond to urgent incidents, prevent crime before it can occur, and engage with large sections of the community,” he said.
Mornington MP and shadow parliamentary secretary for justice and corrections Chris Crewther said the decision to reduce manned police counter hours was “a terrible one” and should be reversed.
“Mornington and Hastings police stations need more support now than ever, not less, given spates of crime impacting local residents, responding to incidents like the fire last week in Main Street, Mornington, and much more,” he said.
Paterson said the changes were also expected to give “rostering flexibility” at a time when Victoria Police was managing a significant number of officer vacancies due to attrition.
Paterson said similar changes to reception counters were implemented during the COVID pandemic, with no adverse impact on the Victorian community.
It is expected 23 police stations will reduce reception counter hours towards the end of November followed in coming months by a further 20 stations.
In an emergency, the community is directed to call triple zero (000) for emergencies or the Police Assistance Line for non-urgent reports.
Updated reception counter hours will remain in place at each of the 43 stations while Victoria Police continues to recruit to fill current vacancies.
Paterson said Victoria Police was starting to make inroads in this regard, with all recruits entering the academy since mid-August going towards filling the current attrition vacancies.
The first double squad since May 2021 will graduate from the academy this month.
He said the academy would be at full capacity for the foreseeable future, with 48 new constables graduating each fortnight.
“Make no mistake – Victoria Police is not closing any police stations,” Paterson said.
“Reception counter hour reductions will occur predominantly during the evening or overnight when we know they are rarely attended.
“When given the choice, police know crime is most effectively deterred and detected via highly visible patrols in the community, rather than from behind a scarcely attended reception counter.”
First published in the Mornington News – 7 November 2023
