Last week, at a local Brunswick playground, an alarming incident of a man known locally as frequently exposing himself was again present at the childrens playground, prompting me to call for local police for assistance to complete a drive by. However, rather than receiving the immediate response that the situation demanded I was informed that I had called outside of business hours and had to call 000, I was left with an hour-long wait for a call back via a very apologetic Constable from Fawkner Station informing me that there were no officers available to address this alarming incident and Brunswick station is no longer 24/7 because there was not enough staff to man it. In the past, my calls to the local station were met with prompt action, but now it seems that the very infrastructure meant to protect us is crumbling.

This is not just my story; it reflects a worrying trend that is affecting communities across our state. Due to drastic cuts in police hours and resources, the Brunswick police station operates only from Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm, leaving us vulnerable outside these hours. The fallout from these decisions does not stop here; 38 stations have been shut down entirely or had their hours curtailed to as early as 3pm or 5pm on weekdays. The complete lack of 24/7 police stations is leaving many communities without crucial round-the-clock protection.

This cutback in essential services means that if an emergency occurs after hours, calls are redirected to Fawkner, a station already stretched thin, often with no officers available to respond. The safety of our families, our neighborhoods, and our broader community is at stake. All citizens deserve to feel safe and secure, yet the current system is failing us.

The state government must urgently address this critical shortage in policing services. We need our leaders to commit to restoring full operating hours for stations, reallocating the necessary resources to ensure no family or individual feels abandoned in their time of need. Additionally, prioritising the reopening of shut-down stations will help distribute the workload more evenly and allow for a more rapid response to emergencies. This is not just about convenience; it's about safety, security, and the peace of mind that every member of our community deserves.

Sign this petition to demand that your local law enforcement agencies be fully operational and ready to serve the community whenever they are needed. Your voice matters, and together, we can make a difference in restoring safety and security to Brunswick and across the state.