In short:
Labor has promised a new police academy in Wyndham as part of plans to deliver 1,500 more officers if re-elected. The announcement comes amid Victoria’s crime crisis and growing local concerns about community safety.
Latest Attempt To Curtail Crime
Labor’s promise to build a second metropolitan police academy in Wyndham has drawn scepticism from locals frustrated by Victoria’s crime crisis.
The Carroll Labor Government announced on 13 September that, if re-elected, it would establish the academy as part of a plan to deliver 1,500 additional police officers.
While more police will be welcomed across Melbourne’s west, the announcement comes after years of growing concern about crime and community safety.
It is the latest in a series of measures rolled out as the government faces increasing pressure over its handling of the issue.
These have included tougher bail laws following criticism of earlier reforms, additional police reservists and PSOs, and controversial machete disposal bins, which attracted criticism over their cost and effectiveness.
Labor has also announced a $10 million Creating Safer Places program, allowing councils to apply for up to $250,000 for CCTV, improved lighting and other public safety upgrades.
The push to recruit and train more officers also follows a bitter pay dispute with Victoria’s existing police workforce.
(Police interrupting a press conference held by Ben Carroll in January 2025.)
History Of Poor Industrial Relations With Police
That dispute spilled onto the streets of Werribee in late 2024 when officers protested outside Werribee Police Station.
It became harder to ignore in January 2025 when police descended on a Werribee press conference held by then-Acting Premier Ben Carroll, with police vehicles surrounding the event and a Police Air Wing helicopter circling overhead as part of the industrial campaign.
A new pay agreement was eventually reached.
The proposed academy would significantly increase Victoria’s capacity to train new officers and places Wyndham at the centre of Labor’s law-and-order pitch ahead of the 28 November state election.
However, many locals have spent years calling for greater action on crime and policing, with some feeling their concerns were dismissed or left on the back burner as the situation worsened.
For those residents, the academy represents a substantial investment in the west, but one arriving after years of frustration over community safety.
The Coalition has pledged 3,000 police recruits, including 1,500 experienced officers from the UK, Ireland and New Zealand.
