FIRE fighting response times by several CFA brigades near Frankston and on the Mornington Peninsula are not up to scratch, the Inquiry into Bushfire Preparedness at state parliament was told last week. This damning claim has come from the United Firefighters’ Union which is at loggerheads with the CFA and volunteer firefighters over a contentious EBA. Response timelines were provided during last week’s inquiry into the state’s preparedness for the summer bushfire threat. The UFU said the required CFA response time for getting a truck to an emergency was eight minutes, with brigades from Mt Martha failing to meet this…
Author: Stephen Taylor
CARJACKINGS and home invasions were the focus of new legislation introduced into state parliament last week. The Crimes Act 1958 will be amended to create new offences of carjacking, aggravated carjacking, home invasion and aggravated home invasion. The legislated offences will attract harsher penalties and give police the “laws they need to keep the community safe”. The legislation, developed in consultation with Victoria Police, will include statutory minimum sentences for aggravated carjacking and aggravated home invasion. And, to combat the rise of youth gangs, the legislation’s show-cause provisions will apply regardless of the age of the offender. Southern Metro Region…
SENIOR police say there are “no plans to reduce police numbers” in Kingston. Southern Metro Region Division 2 Superintendent Amy Gledden has responded to concerns raised by Kingston Council that more than 30 front-line police could be stripped from Cheltenham police station. At last Monday’s public meeting (22 August) council condemned any potential reductions in police numbers and mobile patrols in the region. Councillors voted to “urgently write to the Minister of Police, local state members of parliament plus the Victoria Police Regional Commander objecting to the move”. Mayor Cr Tamsin Bearsley said there was significant community concern that police…
A CARRUM Downs man has been remanded to appear at Frankston Magistrates’ Court after allegedly ramming a police car in a stolen Ford Mustang sports car early Saturday morning, 20 August. The 24-year-old will face charges of burglary, car theft, key theft, dangerous and careless driving, reckless endangerment, possessing drugs and possessing the proceeds of crime. The Mustang was one of seven cars stolen from the Wignall Ford Frankston dealership, Overton Rd, around 3.30am that day. Police will allege the offenders used a crow bar to jemmy open the key safe before stealing the Mustang, three Territory SUVs, two G6E sedans and a Ranger. One…
A FRANKSTON man charged over the alleged abduction of a home owner in Frankston last week has been remanded to appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court in November. The 47-year-old is facing numerous charges including burglary, assault, kidnapping, theft of motor vehicle, recklessly cause serious injury and attempted rape after the incident which police initially described as an “isolated incident” and “burglary gone wrong”. The man is alleged to have entered a Grimwade Cr, Frankston, home before 5.30pm and, when the home’s owner, 54, returned he was allegedly threatened with a knife. After a struggle, the homeowner was allegedly tied up…