Vic govt announces 1966 extra police

The Victorian government has used its budget powers to sink the opposition's
election-year bid to get the upper hand on crime, splashing out millions of dollars
for more police.
The Labor government will lock down $673 million in next week's budget to fund 1966
extra frontline police over five years.
The boost includes 1700 new officers and the redeployment of 266 desk-bound officers.
In the first year, 604 extra police will hit the streets under a force injection
described by Premier John Brumby as the "biggest single one-off boost to police
numbers in the state's history".
They will be seen on the streets from July 1, five months before an election that
will be fought on law and order.
The announcement trumps the opposition's election pledge to recruit an extra 1600
new frontline police over four years.
"The strength of this is that everything that we commit to today is locked into the
budget forward estimates over the next five years," Mr Brumby said.
"This is designed to keep our streets safe, it's designed to drive down crime, it's
designed to ensure that Victorians are not only safe but also that Victorians feel
safe."
Budget surpluses will fund the extra police.
The coalition has promised to recruit 100 transit police on top of 1600 frontline
officers if it wins government.
It will also deploy 940 police protective service officers (PSOs) to monitor train
stations at night.
The opposition wins on numbers but the budget commitment makes its core promise
redundant, with extra police to start flowing well before polling day.
Mr Brumby said under his plan there would be enough police for an officer on almost
every train at night.
The premier also has won the support of the police union and Chief Commissioner
Simon Overland who can endorse budget announcements but not political policy making.
Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu accused the government of playing "catch-up" and
policy pinching.
"The government has today, on new police numbers, matched our commitment,"
Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu said.
"And we, in the process, feel vindicated that the leadership we've been offering has
now been acknowledged by the government."
The government says it will spend $561 million on 1700 new frontline police; $74
million on 200 civilians to replace desk-bound police; and $38 million consolidating
the state emergency dispatch centre in Ballarat to free up 66 police telephone
operators.
Mr Overland said he had been in discussions with the government in the lead-up to
the announcement, particularly about getting trained police back on the beat.
A recruitment drive would begin almost immediately, with the new police to filter
across the state. They would boost the resources of the operational response unit,
targeting alcohol-fuelled violence, public transport and knife crime, he said.
"I think this is a very significant increase in the number of police that we have
here in Victoria," Mr Overland said.
"I think this sets us up extremely well for the future."
The Police Association, which has called for 3000 more officers, welcomed the
announcement and said the investment was a "significant start" in reducing violent
crime.
Assistant secretary Bruce McKenzie said Victoria had scrimped on police and officer
numbers had failed to keep pace with population growth.