SOUTH Barwon MP Andrew Katos says the time has come to keep Torquay\u2019s police station open 24 hours a day.
\nIn Parliament last week, Mr Katos asked Acting Police Minister Robin Scott to increase the number of police at the station on the Surf Coast Highway \u2013 which is generally only open during daylight hours \u2013 and make it a 24-hour station.
\nThe deployment of police is the responsibility of the Chief Commissioner of Police, but Mr Katos said this should not be an issue given the state the Bellarine Peninsula.
\n\u201cI\u2019ve never seen that happen before,\u201d Mr Katos told the Surf Coast Times yesterday (Wednesday).
\n\u201cWhat\u2019s good for the goose is good for the gander. You can\u2019t on one hand direct the Chief Commissioner to increase resources in a marginal Labor seat, and not do the same in the neighbouring seat.\u201d
\nMr Katos is running a petition on his website calling for increased police numbers in the South Barwon electorate.
\nHe said the high level of growth in Torquay meant the town\u2019s police station was \u201cvery much on the threshold\u201d of needing to be upgraded, and that a 24-hour station would allow police to run extra and into the hinterland.
\n\u201cTorquay\u2019s not the sleepy community town it once was.
\n\u201cThe police are doing a fantastic job with the resources they have, but they are not being resourced adequately.\u201d
\nOffences in the 3228 postcode increased 6.6 per cent in 2015 compared to the previous year.
\nIn Parliament last week, Mr Scott said there had been no cuts to frontline police or sworn services and \u201cpolice resources are in fact being increased under this government\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
SOUTH Barwon MP Andrew Katos says the time has come to keep Torquay\u2019s police station open 24 hours a day. In Parliament last week, Mr Katos asked Acting Police Minister Robin Scott to increase the number of police at the station on the Surf Coast Highway \u2013 which is generally only open during daylight hours […]<\/p>\n