Labor pledges more police and new academy in Melbourne's west
A re-elected Labor government will recruit an extra 1,500 police officers and build a new training facility in the Wyndham area, Premier Ben Carroll says.
Labor has pledged to increase Victoria's police force by 1,500 officers and construct a new training academy in Melbourne's southwest, Wyndham, if they secure the upcoming state election. Premier Ben Carroll revealed that applications for becoming a police officer are at a five-year high, but the bottleneck lies in the state's sole permanent police academy located in Glen Waverley, Melbourne's southeast.
The party aims to boost Victoria's police workforce to over 17,000, a goal emphasized by Victoria's police union. Premier Ben Carroll stated that the new academy would be situated in the west to enable recruits to train closer to their residences. Furthermore, the government plans to enhance facilities and housing at Glen Waverley to accommodate more officers during training.
The Police Association of Victoria welcomed Labor's promise, highlighting the necessity for more police and their efficient deployment to the front line. This initiative aligns with the broader workforce by facilitating faster employment and training of recruits near their living locations.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
