Bellarine police stations to reopen on Saturdays
A FURTHER step has been taken towards reinstating full policing hours on the Bellarine Peninsula, with Portarlington and Drysdale adding an extra day of counter service to their rosters from this weekend.
The stations, along with Queenscliff, had dispatch powers scrapped last year and counters are now open only 16 hours a week.
The Portarlington and Drysdale stations will add an 8am to 4pm Saturday shift to their two existing weekday shifts starting this week, ahead of a return to full operating hours in coming months.
Bellarine MP Lisa Neville, who promised to reopen the stations for 16 hours a day ahead of last year’s state election, said full hours would be gradually phased in.
“This is a step towards that. We made a strong election commitment and we are looking into how we can change the rostering system to make it happen,” she said.
“Rosters are locked in well in advance and making immediate changes can leave big holes, so we have to do it gradually and I hope permanent changes will come in March.”
Bellarine Senior Sergeant Angelo Ferrara said police were constantly reviewing how to best service the community and encouraged feedback to either himself or other sergeants at the Bellarine Police Station in Ocean Grove.
“We recognise the difficulty some members of our community may have in being able to attend their local station for inquiries,” he said. “By opening these stations on a Saturday we are allowing residents more opportunity to attend and speak to police face to face.
“We see this as a positive move that gives residents better access to local police for a chat about concerns or for document signing.
“However those wishing to report a crime or need immediate assistance are encouraged to call triple zero (000).”
Residents at a Drysdale community meeting last month said they were planning to form a new-look Neighbourhood Watch to protect their towns amid an increase in crime, which they attributed to a diminished police presence.