More cops on beat

TWO extra police will join the Yarra Ranges police force – and they’ll be experienced officers redeployed from desk jobs, not recruits.
They will be part of 600 frontline police officers, with 450 new recruits and 150 existing members, to be redeployed as part of the Coalition Government’s commitment to recruit an extra 1700 police over the next four years.
Eastern Region Superintendent Jeff Forti said he was pleased with the number of officers his area would take on, including 11 police officers for Maroondah, Knox and the Yarra Valley and Manningham.
“We got a good influx into this area with the first stage of the roll-out,” he said. “They were sent to the busiest areas first, and we might see more during the rollout of 1700.”
Supt Forti said one of the new Yarra Ranges police officers was earmarked for a detective role, and the other would be on traffic duty, which meant the officers were more than likely to work from Lilydale Police headquarters and cover the whole Yarra Valley in their duties.
Deputy Commissioner Ken Lay said police had been placed in areas where they were needed most, but many more locations would be identified and would receive additional officers in coming years.
Frankston has been given the biggest number of extra officers – 35.
On top of this, 100 additional transit police would be present on metropolitan trains to fight rising trends of assaults, thefts and drunkenness on public transport.