In short:
The Liberal Party has pledged to staff the new Point Cook Police Station 24/7 if victorious at the Victorian state election on 28 November. The commitment comes as the station’s opening remains months behind schedule, with crime and policing major election issues in Wyndham.
Second Police Station Promise In A Week
The Liberal Party has promised to open and staff the new Point Cook Police Station 24/7 if the Coalition is victorious at the state election in 23 days’ time.
The announcement, made on 5 November, marks another policing election commitment in Wyndham from the Liberals, following last week’s pledge to reopen the public counter at Wyndham North Police Station in Tarneit.
Speaking to Wyndham TV, Shadow Minister for Police and Corrections Brad Battin criticised the state government’s record on crime while outlining the Coalition’s commitment.
“After 12 years of a corrupt Labor government, we know that crime is on the increase. The statistics are victims.”
“Because you need to know that you have a place of safety, and we know the evidence is clear: with stations that are open, crime comes down.”
Despite a slight decline in the latest reporting period, criminal incidents across Wyndham remain 54 per cent higher than in 2022, according to Crime Statistics Agency figures.
The latest figures show criminal incidents fell 1.2 per cent over the past year, following a 23 per cent increase the previous year.
Lights Are On, But No One’s Home
The new Point Cook Police Station was originally expected to be completed by mid-2026, but its opening has been delayed.
In a statement to Wyndham TV, a Victoria Police spokesperson confirmed police had only recently taken possession of the building.
“Infrastructure Solutions will now oversee the implementation of the necessary equipment and systems, which is scheduled to take several weeks.”
“Further updates will be available after that occurs.”
The Coalition has also pledged to recruit 3,000 additional police officers across Victoria if elected, compared with Labor’s commitment to recruit 1,500.
Meanwhile, one of Labor’s major election promises for Wyndham is the establishment of a second police academy, aimed at expanding the state’s police training capacity.
Victoria’s crime crisis has been simmering as one of the major election battlegrounds, with the issue set to weigh heavily on voters’ minds ahead of the state election.
