New police academy and 1,500 officers pledged for Melbourne's west
Labor pledges 1,500 extra police officers and a second police academy in Melbourne's west if re-elected in November.
Premier Ben Carroll has promised Victoria's police force will grow to just over 17,000 if Labor wins the November state election. Labor will build a new training academy in Wyndham, Melbourne's south-west.
The current academy in Glen Waverley cannot keep up with demand. Applications are at a five-year high, but training is the bottleneck.
A second academy in Wyndham would let recruits train closer to home. It would also let Glen Waverley train more officers at once.
Two more facilities are already planned for Mildura and Gippsland. The Police Association of Victoria has backed the pledge.
It said this would help Victoria Police move faster from hiring to the front line.
- 1,500
- New officers pledged
- just over 17,000
- Target force size
- Wyndham, Melbourne's south-west
- New academy location
- Glen Waverley
- Current academy
Why it mattersFaster recruitment means more police patrolling streets sooner, easing public safety concerns that have dominated Victoria's campaign.
AustraliaVictoria's police force would become the country's largest, with practical benefits for south-west Melbourne residents seeking closer training sites.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 12 d ago
