RECEPTION hours at local police stations will be cut at the end of this month.
The 24-hour reception desks at Chelsea, Cheltenham, Mordialloc, Carrum Downs, and Bayside will close at the end of this month. The receptions at Chelsea, Carrum Downs, and Cheltenham will open for just eight hours a day, and the others will be open 16 hours a day.
Moorabbin, Frankston, and Dandenong police stations will continue operating 24-hour receptions.
In total, 43 Victoria Police stations will cut their reception hours. Victoria Police regional operations deputy commissioner Neil Paterson said that no police stations would be closing because of the changes.
“Reception counter hour reductions will occur predominantly during the evening or overnight when we know they are rarely attended. Even when reception counters are unstaffed, police continue to patrol the local community and often, still work within the station,” he said.
“Every Australian policing jurisdiction is currently experiencing resourcing challenges and police counter reductions are also occurring in other states. 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. The vast majority of people attending police stations do so during the day, most regularly to have statutory declarations signed or documents certified.
“Redirecting officers towards frontline policing duties will increase the likelihood of crime being prevented, offenders being arrested, and the community remaining safe.”
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 8 November 2023
