More officers on street now

“We have a six-year trend of increasing crime rates, which is why we have funded additional police . . . (and) we will continue to give police the resources they need to turn this crime trend around.” — Police Minister

Lisa Neville HMMM. Do we really need to point out the conflict in this curious statement from our Police Minister yesterday?

If the “trend” is rising, we are losing the fight. Right?

If the “trend” is rising, this Government needs to have done more to stop it. Right?

We don’t want vague promises about future action.

In our opinion, six years of rising crime is more than a trend. It’s become the new norm. And it’s outrageous.

It is past time that more was done to help our local police force stymie crime in Geelong.

Our readers will today be horrified to learn of a 21.5 per cent increase in their city’s crime rate. Horrified, but not totally surprised.

We know there are big problems. We have been seeing it and saying it for a while now.

Minister Neville’s comments imply that more police is a necessary part of the solution. Well, let’s get on with it. If more police is the answer, let us see that on the ground in Geelong and fatten our Thin Blue Line.

If the Minister’s six-year time reference is an attempt to include the previous government in some sort of blame game, we have some news of our own. The people don’t care. This is your problem, Minister.

You have been in government for two of those years.

This is happening on your watch.

No amount of buckpassing will cut it for the people of Geelong.

What we need are clear, substantial commitments from your Government.