In short:
Crime in Wyndham fell slightly in the year to June 2026 but remains well above 2022 levels. Police vacancies, unanswered local staffing questions and competing election promises are putting pressure on candidates to explain how they would improve safety.
A Potentially Decisive Issue For Voters
Crime. It’s been one of Victoria’s biggest talking points over the past four years. And with less than two months until the state election, it’s on many people’s minds as they prepare to vote.
According to the Crime Statistics Agency, criminal incidents in Wyndham fell 1.2 per cent in the year to June. However, the number remains 54 per cent higher than in 2022, while serious family violence assaults and shop theft have also risen.
West Party candidate for Point Cook Mark Grech said the community needed to see action closer to home.
“We need to have the community feel safe. We need more thought forums. We need people to see that the government is actually doing something for the people of each community, including Point Cook.”
Questions Over Police Staffing
Police resourcing is also under pressure. At the end of August, Victoria Police reported 1,340 full-time equivalent police vacancies across the state.
Labor has promised 1,500 more officers if re-elected. Asked by Wyndham TV when Victoria Police would return to full staffing, the Government provided no timeframe.
It said its recently promised police academy in Melbourne’s west would open next term, but gave no specific date.
Victoria Police was asked how many of those vacancies are in Wyndham, whether there are plans for Wyndham North Police Station to operate 24/7, and when the new Point Cook station is due to open.
It had not answered those questions by deadline.
(Werribee Police Station.)
Jack’s Law Enters Election Debate
Premier Ben Carroll has promised to introduce Jack’s Law if Labor is re-elected. It would give police broader powers to scan people for weapons.
A week later, Wyndham’s Labor MPs were among those who voted against a motion to let the Opposition introduce its own version in Parliament.
Western Metropolitan Region MP Trung Luu, who served as a police officer for 28 years, argued the powers were needed.
“People are getting injured due to the fights, the stabbings, and so on. So it is important that we have Jack’s Law.”
As the campaign continues to heat up, so too will the pressure on candidates to offer a practical solution to crime.
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