Victoria’s police union has slammed Premier Jacinta Allan and her state government after a series of raids forced residents to hire private security guards.
The Victoria Police Association issued a fiery statement on Friday after an “explosion of home break-ins” in suburban Melbourne.
The union said residents had been “forced to hire their own private security” to patrol their neighborhoods and protect themselves from potential criminals.
“This is a criticism of the government’s failure to adequately staff our police force,” the statement read.
They added that the crime rate is so high because the police force has “1,000 vacancies, more than 900 police officers on leave due to injuries and illnesses and 43 police stations closed.”
Given the lack of agents on the ground, the union claims to not have enough resources to prevent crimes and only to arrest offenders.
“The consequence we are seeing now is that neighborhoods are coming together to finance their own private security, and not for the first time,” the union stated.
“This is simply unacceptable.”
The police union took aim at top brass and the state government, who they say have been “sitting on their hands” instead of finding a solution.
Victoria’s police union has taken aim at the state’s premier, Jacinta Allan (pictured), and the police force for failing to attract new recruits and leaving officers overstretched.
It comes as suburban Melbourne residents were forced to hire private security guards in a bid to prevent a series of home raids (file image).
The union called on the state government to “come to the table and negotiate a fair pay deal” to attract new recruits and stop the “exodus of experienced police officers”.
“This action will help reverse this worrying trend and adequately staff our police force, rather than leaving communities to fend for themselves,” the statement read.
The year-long dispute led to officers alerting motorists to the location of speed cameras as part of a strike in September.
An agreement in principle was reached in May that would give officers a fortnight of nine-day work and a 16 per cent pay rise over four years.
However, the agreement was rejected by the members and the parties returned to the negotiating table.
The union’s claims were later rejected by the Victorian government and the previous proposed agreement was withdrawn, sending negotiations back to square one, the police union said on Thursday.
“Our members do not want to take industrial action, but since submitting a series of revised complaints to Victoria Police, they have been unable to engage in any meaningful negotiations,” secretary Wayne Gatt said.
Among the demands, police want a 24 percent pay rise over four years and for time spent at the start and end of shifts putting on and taking off gear to be considered part of their shift rather than being an unpaid addition. to the same.