The city’s top police officer has strongly dismissed claims that Ballarat’s highway patrol is understaffed, but says he will continue to advocate for more police in the region.
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Ballarat Superintendent Andrew Allen has strongly opposed claims from former Ballarat chief inspector Bob Barby that the current highway patrol only has 10 members.
While Superintendent Allen would not release the exact number of members in Ballarat HIghway Patrol, he said road safety campaigns were supplemented by other uniformed units as well as Highway Patrol units from other regions including Moorabool, Golden Plains, Hepburn and Pyrenees.
Mr Barby told The Courier this week he believed the introduction of the “two-up” safety policy in all highway patrol units had resulted in a significant shortfall of officers on our roads.
However, Superintendent Allen has backed the policy as being essential to the safety off all police members.
“Since I’ve been the Divisional Commander, I have increased the numbers of members of the highway patrol both in Ballarat and Bacchus Marsh as road trauma is a key priority in the Ballarat region,” Superintendent Allen said.
Superintendent Allen said the policing landscape had changed greatly over the past 10 years.
“The two up police was implemented in May 2015 and has resulted in a higher level of safety and security for police.”
The Police Association Secretary Ron Iddles said patrol members had reported reductions in patrol numbers since the introduction of the two-up policy, however said it was a necessary consequence of an essential policy.
“Our members at the Highway Patrol report that patrol numbers have been reduced since the adoption of the two-up policy last year however we acknowledge that this is a necessary consequence when officer safety is, as it should be, the first and foremost consideration for Victoria Police,” Mr Iddles said.
Read the full statement on page 13