Community members living in and around Gordon can expect to interact with police more often, with a new member stationed in the town.
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In what is a rarity at single-member stations, a woman - Leading Senior Constable Sally Fairweather - has taken on the role as the first female police member to work at Gordon.
While the role is temporary, she is eager to work closely with the community to address the concerns of residents living in the area.
Leading Senior Constable Fairweather has 14 years police experience under her belt. She graduated from the police academy in 2006 before completing her training at East Melbourne Police Station.
She then transferred to Portland, where she worked for five years, and has spent the last seven years working in uniform at Bacchus Marsh Police Station.
While no stranger to frontline policing, it is the first time she is working in a small town with just over 1000 residents, and as the only police member.
She welcomes the move as an opportunity to not only advance her own career, but because it is a unique opportunity to work closely with a small town community to address issues that affect residents.
What are the policing challenges in Gordon?
One of the busiest corridors in the state, as it is intersected by the Old Melbourne Road, the Western Freeway and with the Ballan-Daylesford Road nearby, road trauma is one major issue in Gordon.
This is because the risk of serious injury or death following a collision is much greater in regional Victoria - for many reasons, but one of the biggest factors is that there are higher speed limits.
Another major issue is theft. With farms dotted across the area, the increasing issue of stock theft and other farm-related crimes is having a significant impact on farmers in the wider Gordon region.
It is something police are trying to address through various means, including with the creation of the Farm Crime Coordination Unit last year.
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In addition, opportunistic theft, from cars and homes, is another issue police in the area are working to address.
Further, being about an hour from Melbourne and with restrictions on the number of people able to camp in camping grounds, it is expected that many people will travel to the area to camp in bushland this summer.
"With COVID restrictions, we're expecting an increase in free campers out in the bush this summer," Leading Senior Constable Fairweather said.
Gordon Police Station recently took ownership of a new Toyota Landcruiser, meaning Leading Senior Constable Fairweather will be able to access all areas around the township - including bushland.
It means police will be able to keep an eye on any antisocial behaviour or littering, but will also simply be able to reach other areas, such as recreational motorbike rider spots, they couldn't easily before.
"Having this vehicle means we'll be able to access areas we wouldn't be able to get to in the standard sedan," she said.
Working in a one person station
Members working alone in small communities typically play a much bigger role than that of law enforcer - they are often embedded in clubs and are someone to talk to about any issues.
While there has not been a member permanently stationed at Gordon for a number of months, there are plans to further cement a police presence in the Gordon area.
This includes the construction of a house next to the police station on Main Street, for the town's police member to live in. Construction will begin shortly.
Acknowledging that it is important for the community to know there is a police member based in and dedicated to the town, Leading Senior Constable Fairweather is looking forward to working with the community "to keep it safe".
With 12 years experience with country policing, she enjoys immersing herself in the community she works in and is eager to engage with the Gordon community further as COVID restrictions continue to ease.
I certainly enjoy having a chat with people, getting to know them and any concerns they have about their town and what police can do to improve it
- Leading Senior Constable Fairweather
"I certainly enjoy having a chat with people, getting to know them and any concerns they have about their town and what police can do to improve it."
Residents can expect to see her walking the streets and attending community events and sporting matches in coming months.
A new defibrillator has recently been installed at the front of the police station, and Leading Senior Constable Fairweather encourages community members to drop in at any time, and with any issue they wish to speak about.
"If the blinds are open and the car is in the driveway, then I'm here," she said. "If the car is not here but the blinds are open, then I am out doing a job but will be back."
For police to address issues in the area, they require the many eyes and ears in the community to come forward, even about what they might consider an insignificant piece of information - such as a suspicious car or person.
"I really encourage people to come forward if they think something is suspicious, so we can submit an information report," Leading Senior Constable Fairweather said.
"It could be the missing link we were needing to solve a crime."
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Being the only police officer in a town can be a tough gig - it can mean working long hours and being woken up in the middle of the night to respond to an emergency, and being first at the scene of a confronting incident.
But Leading Senior Constable Fairweather is working closely with police members in Ballan, so there are more police working in the area - which extends down to Elaine and across to Daylesford - and patrol cars on the roads.
She also knows she can call for support from nearby 24-hour Bacchus Marsh Police Station.
At this stage, Leading Senior Constable Fairweather will be stationed at Gordon until January.