The Andrews Labor Government’s failures in community safety must be addressed in tomorrow’s budget along with further economic recovery measures to address the state’s worsening jobs crisis.
The 2020-21 State Budget comes as recent independent Crime Statistics Agency data confirms offending has spiked during COVID-19 despite heavy lockdown restrictions to reach an all-time high, whilst community confidence in Victoria Police has fallen to a decade low.
Daniel Andrews has failed to prioritise the safety of Victorian families and communities throughout 2020 and now must deliver the follow in tomorrow’s State Budget:
- Follow calls from The Police Association Victoria and Victorian Liberal Nationals and provide funding for the full rollout of Tasers to all frontline police.
- Enhance community access to Victoria Police shopfronts by funding rebuilds or upgrades of the Narre Warren, Broadmeadows, Collingwood / Fitzroy, Prahran, Malvern, Wollert, Hamilton, St Kilda, Clayton, Benalla, Point Cook, Drouin, Coleraine and Rokewood stations.
- Double the number of target youth referrals to 2,400 for 2020-21.
- Return PSO’s to the public transport network, deliver additional funding to ensure continuity of the current two up deployment across all metropolitan train stations and the provision of additional training to support the flexible deployment of PSO’s across the state when necessary.
- Continue funding for Victoria Police’s Embedded Youth Outreach Program beyond 2020.
- Fund and support a comprehensive Police in Schools program to build connections between young people and police and help reduce youth offending.
- A plan to reduce the skyrocketing costs and high reoffending rates across our prison system to tackle our reputation of being the most expensive and worst-performing prison system in the nation.
The Liberal Nationals have a positive plan to get Victoria Back to Work and Back in Business that includes investing in Victoria Police personnel and infrastructure to keep Victorians safe.
Comments attributable to Shadow Minister for Police and Community Safety, David Southwick:
“With offending at record highs and community confidence at decade lows, Labor’s budget must include a plan to reduce crime and rebuild the relationship between police and community.
“Victorians cannot afford for community safety to be an afterthought and Daniel Andrews must provide the resources necessary for police to keep our community safe.
“Rebuilding and upgrading key police stations across the state will help community accessibility, strengthen the damaged relationship between police and the public and support our ongoing COVID-19 recovery.”
