Over 200 people, comprising of police members, concerned residents, business people and community leaders from the City of Frankston and Mornington Peninsula Shire gathered at a public meeting yesterday to express their concern at the dangerous shortage of police numbers in their communities.

The meeting heard from several members of the community, all of whom are deeply frustrated and concerned by the lack of visible police presence on the street caused by the shortage crisis. After hearing many comments, stories and anecdotes from concerned locals attesting to the police shortage crisis at Frankston, a total of thirteen (13) resolutions were carried unanimously by those at the meeting.

The key outcomes / messages arising from the resolutions can be summarised, as follows;

• The community stands by and fully supports the police officers stationed at Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula during the current police shortage crisis.
• An immediate injection of a reasonable number of police officers was demanded within 28 days to alleviate the shortage in the short-term.
• The Victoria Police Force was called upon to increase the combined establishment at Frankston and Mornington Peninsula by an additional 41 police officers in accordance with scientific research conducted by the National Institute of Economic and Industry Research.
• The meeting expressed outrage that operational members at Frankston and Mornington Peninsula are regularly required to work alone and demanded that this issue be highlighted by the Association in future forums with Government and the Chief Commissioner. 
• The meeting called on the Association to demand that the Office of Police Integrity (OPI) use its powers of its own motion to conduct an investigation into critical police resource shortages across the state. The meeting also called on the Association to launch a petition to this effect.
• The meeting called upon the Chief Commissioner to conduct a full audit of all positions in the Victoria Police Force. It also called upon the Force to strictly adhere to the Establishment Control & Occupancy Management Policy.
• The meeting called upon the Association to convene a special general meeting of members regarding the current crise of police shortages across the state.

Having regard to these resolutions, the Association will continue to vigorously pursue this matter with the Government, Chief Commissioner and relevant local councils. The above motions, as well as seeking an urgent injection of police officers at Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula, also recognise the undeniable reality that the lack of police on the street is a statewide crisis.

It is for this reason that the Association (in accordance with one of motions) will request the OPI to constructively utilise time, energy and resources to investigate the parlous state of police resources in this state within terms of reference demanded by the Association.  A petition calling for such an investigation has been launched. A copy of this petition will be available via your Association Delegates and which we strongly encourage all members and concerned members of the public to support.

Paul Mullett
Secretary