Crime has jumped on the Surf Coast because of Baillieu Government inaction, State Member for Western Victoria, Gayle Tierney MP said today.
Ms Tierney said the Victoria Police statistics showed the crime rate in Victoria has risen for the first time in ten years.
“The Baillieu Government’s law and order policy is in tatters with crimes against the person and crimes against property on the rise on the surf coast,” Ms Tierney said.
“The number of offences recorded across the surf coast has increased by more than 25 per cent over the last year.
“Victoria Police statistics show that thefts from motor vehicles on the surf coast have more than doubled in the last twelve months and incidents of assaults have risen by 40 per cent.
“Only a few months ago the surf coast community were told that it was not necessary to allocate extra police to the surf coast during the busy summer period, these figures would suggest otherwise.
“In just over 20 months Premier Ted Baillieu has managed to unravel 10 years of crime reduction under Labor.
“These statistics, along with the decision to not allocate extra police to the surf coast in the summer period are further evidence that the Baillieu Government has walked away from the surf coast community.
“Police Minister Peter Ryan is simply not up to the job and his colleagues certainly don’t think he is up to the job.
“Mr Baillieu promised the surf coast that he would get tough on crime but today’s crime statistics show he isn’t making our community safer.”
Ms Tierney said the Baillieu Government had cut $65 million from Victoria Police, slashed 480 jobs from the Department of Justice and 350 jobs from Victoria Police while crime increased.
“While the Government is cutting police resources and failing to reduce crime, it is implementing a bungled PSO policy which has blown out by more than $60 million and is behind schedule,” Ms Tierney said.