Star Weekly - Brimbank North West - 19th December 2023

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proudly serving Brimbank and the North West

19 DECEMBER, 2023

12496404-AV22-21

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SIG N U P N O W!

Merry Christmas, everyone! As excited kids across the west eagerly count down the days until Santa visits, preps from Braybrook’s Dinjerra Primary School are soaking up the last days of their first year of school by enjoying Christmas themed activities, inattentive to the rush of last-minute preparations as the holiday draws closer. As the end of 2023 draws near, the team at Star Weekly would like to wish our readers and advertisers a Merry Christmas and safe and happy 2024. The first edition of the new year will be published on January 9. The office will reopen on January 2.

Dinjerra Primary School preps: Florencia, Marianne and Tobias. (Damjan Janevski) 378530_02

Call to rethink police cuts By Hannah Hammoud The decision to implement reduced reception counter hours at the Keilor Downs police station has been described as a ‘slap in the face’ to the local community. The Keilor Downs police station will join several stations across the state that will no longer have 24-hour reception counters, as Victoria Police continues to deal with staff shortages. Victoria Police said reception counter hours will be “temporarily” reduced during off peak times at 43 police stations across Victoria, but provided no timeline as to when reception counter hours will return to normal. The Keilor Downs police station reception counter hours will be reduced from 24 to eight hours per day.

At the most recent council meeting on December 12, councillor Virginia Tachos raised a notice of motion imploring the state government to work with Victoria Police to reverse this decision. Cr Tachos said the Brimbank community has the right to be safe, “just like everyone else”. “I am very concerned about the shortage of police officers in Brimbank and the proposed reduction in hours of the police station in Keilor Downs,” she said.“The safety of our community is of paramount importance and it is being undermined by these measures.” North west metro division three Acting Superintendent Shane Brundell said the reduced hours at the station will allow police to respond to urgent incidents. “Please be assured – the temporary closure of Keilor Downs’ reception counter does not

mean the actual police station is closing,” he said. “... The closures will also mostly be occurring at times when we know reception is rarely attended. “Anyone who needs to attend a police station during these hours can go to Sunshine Police Station which is only 7km away and open 24 hours.” Cr Tachos cited concerns around placing “limits” on the community’s ability to access their local police station. “... especially in the lead up to Christmas time - which we know is a time where incidents can spike and issues arise - to have this reception close will put additional pressure on the Sunshine police station.” In Brimbank, recorded criminal offences increased by 4.6 per cent across the municipality in the 12 months to June, according to the most

recent data from the Crime Statistics Agency. “While there are a number of reasons why crime rates are higher in Brimbank, it demonstrates the need for effective policing and resources, including both the restoration of police numbers and a 24 hour manned police station,” Cr Tachos said. Cr Kerr said the decision was a “slap in the face“ to the local community. “The closure of this police station overnight means that there is no police station available to our local community between Sunshine and Melton,” she said. “We want a 24 hour manned station. We have an ageing population in Keilor Downs, people don’t know how to lodge a report on the internet, they get confused with the phone system, they want a police station they can actually enter into. “Stop putting our residents at risk.”

ONE STOP SHOPPING CENTRE FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY Our friendly centre has convenient parking and food for all tastes. A Bakery, Fresh Seafood, Butchery, a Continental deli and Indian Supermarket. Takeaway Fish and Chips, Pizza, Charcoal Chicken and Kebabs Cafe. Chemist and Medical centre and a large Woolworth Supermarket.

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