By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Dandenong railway station will be guarded by daytime Protective Services Officers (PSOs), if the Liberal-Nationals Coalition wins the upcoming State Election.
The station has been identified by the Coalition as among 20 “daytime crime hotspots”.
Currently staffed by PSOs during the night, the station would receive an extra shift of PSOs from 10am-6pm.
Under the plan, an extra 100 PSOs would be recruited and deployed.
Community Safety spokesman Edward O’Donohue said the move would make Victoria safer.
“We are going to put more police on the beat and more PSOs at train stations like Dandenong.
“If we are going to encourage more people to use more public transport then we need to make sure users are safe and feel safe.”
According to the Coalition, crime in Dandenong had risen by 7 per cent in the past four years.
This included an 89 per cent increase in offences involving dangerous throwing of objects and 17 per cent more assaults of police and emergency services workers.
According to Police Association figures there are 190 fewer uniform police in the state than in 2013, the Coalition argues.
The Government however claims it has funded 3135 new frontline police to be rolled out by 2021.
Ninety-six of them have been allocated to the Dandenong Division, which includes Greater Dandenong and Casey.
It has also argued that crime rates have dropped by 9 per cent in Greater Dandenong over the past 12 months.
“We’ve already announced funding for an additional mobile 100 PSOs, to be rolled out across the public transport network,” a Government spokesman said.
“Of these, 25 new PSOs have already been deployed.”
