General News
14 November, 2025
Big issues with police numbers
THE State Government has come under fire this week following news Victoria Police has scrapped minimum staffing requirements for police stations across the state - including Stawell - in a bid to get more officers on the beat.
The major change comes amid a critical workforce shortage that has crippled the frontline presence of Victoria Police, and now the state opposition have said that leaked documents reveal that Labor’s police budget cuts could lead to further reductions in the operation hours of stations and even more station closures across Victoria.
Liberal Party members pounced on the situation this week, highlighting that the decision-making power to close police stations has now been delegated from the Chief Commissioner to local area managers allowing closures to occur more frequently due to staff shortages.
Stawell is one of dozens of police stations operating on reduced hours since 2023, while dozens more have closed, and now Victoria Police has been forced to suspend minimum staffing requirements because there simply aren’t enough officers to keep stations open.
According to the Liberals, Victoria is now 2,000 police officers short and despite a recruitment drive and a promise to deliver 500 more police, in the last five years full time operational roles fell by two per cent.
Shadow Minister for Police David Southwick spoke out strongly about the situation.
“Under Labor, Victoria Police has been forced into crisis management instead of crime prevention,” Mr Southwick said.
“Frontline numbers have dropped while violent incidents and crime continues to rise.”
Mr Southwick put a particular emphasis on community confidence, and concerns about Police stations operating on reduced hours.
“Victims deserve to know that when they walk up to a police station, the lights will be on and the doors will be open,” he said, “Instead, it’s now a lucky dip whether you’ll find a station staffed at all.”
Read More: Stawell