A police representative will be attending future public monthly meetings to meet with members and assist with resident concerns and issues. The police representative will arrive at 7.30 pm and take up the last half hour of our meetings.

SunRRA invites members and residents who have police matters they wish to raise to attend the monthly meetings.

This forum thread is intended to follow the issues raised during the meetings or allow residents who can't attend a chance to contribute via the web.

I believe the police attendance to our meetings is a real endorsement of SunRRA’s standing in the community and I’m hopeful we can have a real impact on local policing issues and hopefully assist in improving the situation in the area.

Hope to see you at the next SunRRA public meeting to be held Wednesday at 6.30 pm – Harvester Room, Sunshine Library. (April 2nd)

Please tell anyone you think might be interested in attending a SunRRA meeting and would like to have input into this new initiative between Sunshine Police and SunRRA.

Regards,

Darlene Reilly
President
Sunshine Residents & Ratepayers Association

Scheduled future meeting dates for your reference all held at Harvester Room, Sunshine Library, Hampshire Road starting 6.30 pm.

2nd April, 2008
7th May, 2008
4th June, 2008
2nd July, 2008
6th August, 2008
3rd September 2008
1st October, 2008
5th November 2008
3rd December, 2008

Congratulations SunRRA - this is a real feather in your cap!
I would welcome the opportunity to attend a meeting a bit further down the track - Im sure you have most of the issues covered.
Just one point for now -
Brimbank has 5 Activity Centres nominated including 1 Transit City, where increased population densities are to be encouraged by the State Government... The State Government therefore must allocate the financial resources to ensure that levels of policing (including traffic) are adequately matched. I would argue that the ratio, even on present figures, is grossly inadequate...The ratio needs to be immediately rectified and then continually adjusted to reflect population increase.

Marilyn Canet

Reminder, it's not too late - SunRRA meeting tonight 6.30 pm Harvester Room, at Sunshine Library - Hampshire Road.

Lots to discuss and update plus SunRRA loves to hear issues and ideas residents bring up at the meetings.

See you there.

Darlene

Great meeting last night - good to see new faces and people offering different views.

John R was good but boy do we have some youth work to do. Here's hoping some of the great comments and new networks get this area humming.

Community feelings of a lack of safety particularly at night is a real issue.

Keep up the good work SunRRA.

I enjoyed the meeting very much.

It was interesting to hear the differing views on the micro chipping. Amazing how informed the contributors were and how passionate on both sides of the argument. As a member I would have liked to have a vote on the motion raised to present the argument to the executive committee.

The policeman session was inspiring to and I hope the SunRRA can help out in some way. I feel sorry for the tough job the police are faced with out here.

Congratulations with attendance with all chairs taken and people sitting on the floor.

Attendee wrote:

The policeman session was inspiring to and I hope the SunRRA can help out in some way. I feel sorry for the tough job the police are faced with out here.

Congratulations with attendance with all chairs taken and people sitting on the floor.

You said it.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23481275-661,00.html

VICTORIA spent less on its police force than any other state and record levels of violence have led to fears of a "Blade Runner-style" society.

Productivity Commission figures show the state spent less on police than any other in the past three years, and second-lowest in the two years before that.


Are you still wondering why organised crime has a hold on the Victorian Government, and why Steve Bracks was forced to resign? Perhaps it is becoming clear to you why we need an independent crime and corruption commssion in Victoria?

"As a member I would have liked to have a vote on the motion raised to present the argument to the executive committee."


You must have left early because a vote was taken to present the motion to the executive committee at the end of the meeting. It lost but Darlene accepted it anyway.

A vote was never needed.

Anyone and I mean anyone can present any motion, idea, problem, issue, ask for help, advize the committee or members at any time and the committee will consider it and anything raised at the next executive committee meeting.

What would be sad is if you had an issue and came to a sunrra meeting and wanted the committee to consider your issue or idea and the meeting voted you couldn't.

A vote was not needed. Just approach any committee member and tell them what you want or what your issue is and require from sunrra and it will be raised at the next committee meeting.

There are 12 committee members willing and ready to help any member or non member at any time.

What was wrong with the motion at the last meeting is it wasn't necessary.

The motioner was not a member and by rights has no legal standing within sunrra but does that matter? Did it count for anything on the night? No because even though the motion lost in the first instance Darlene said the committee would take it anyway because the committee doesn't exclude anyone or anything for consideration when it comes to our community.

I'm proud of our organisation for that. The doors are always open to everyone and the committee is very committed to the Sunshine community.

Here's clownish George misleading the voters again - with information he got from "the minster's office"!

They steal from us, they lie, what next?
http://www.brimbankleader.com.au/article/2008/04/15/33395_bmv_news.html

Keilor state Labor MP George Seitz writes in his quarterly electorate newsletter, George's Journal, that there are 177 uniform police in Brimbank.

But the Police Association and Brimbank's police inspector say the figure is incorrect, prompting accusations of spin from the State Opposition.

The association says a recent roster analysis shows there are 130 uniform positions at Brimbank's two stations in Sunshine and Keilor Downs, including officers on leave or seconded to other areas and not replaced.

This is a serious attempt to mislead the residents of Brimbank and shows you how desperate the government is getting now.

We know Brumby is stealing resources from Brimbank so George tries to cover it up for him by reporting a number of phantom police who should be here but simply are not.

It is no co incidence that Georgie is saying there are 177 police, because that makes it 1 policeman per 1000 residents in Brimbank. I bet you find all other areas (except safe labor areas like dandenong or whittlesea) have got 1 police per 1000 population.

It tells us that we are 47 police short in Brimbank.

47 police short.

Georgie knows it and he's been caught out telling a porky.

A day in the busy life .

The Minister: What will we do about these Brimbank police figures? There are supposed to be 180 cops but there are only 130. What are we going to say?

Brumby: Tell 'em there are 180.

The Minister: Come on Jack they're smarter than that, they'll find out eventually.

Brumby: You reckon? We'll get Seitz to tell 'em. They'll believe George.

The Minister: You reckon? Muggings are up 250%. Knife attacks up. Drugs capital of Victoria. They are murdering each other in the streets and there aren't enough cops to put a stop to it. And we should just say there are 180 cops instead of 130?

Brumby: Yeah. Make it 177.

The Minister: OK boss if you say so.

Victoria Police can't fill vacancies

AS many as one position in five is vacant or an officer is on secondment at two of Victoria's busiest police stations.

Highly confidential police rosters seen by the Herald Sun from the Sunshine and Werribee stations detail high numbers of vacancies or secondments, despite frequent serious crime in the areas.

On one assessment, more than 20 per cent of police in both stations are either seconded to another task or the position had not been filled.

Senior police have conceded there are some issues with vacancies but said seconded staff were almost always working on police matters in the Westgate division.

Insiders from both stations have leaked fortnightly rosters for the week ending March 29.

State Opposition analysis of those rosters suggests that of the 96 positions at Werribee, there were eight vacancies and 14 secondments.

Of the the 87 positions in Sunshine, there were 11 vacancies and seven secondments.

"They are ghosts. One in five of them are just not available for duty," said

shadow police spokesman Andrew McIntosh.

Supt Stephen Leane, of the Westgate division, said that of those seconded, the overwhelming majority were on police tasks within the division, although not necessarily at Sunshine or Werribee stations.

He agreed there were several vacancies but said this was because staff were in high demand for promotion due to the nature of the work.

Some chose to move because of the tough environment.

Both stations are in two of the highest crime-rate areas in the nation.

In the Brimbank area, which covers Sunshine, crimes against the person between the 2001 and 2007 financial years jumped 62 per cent.

In Wyndham, which includes Werribee, crimes against the person soared 92 per cent in the same period, according to the Opposition.

A spokesman for Police Minister Bob Cameron said 1400 extra police had been hired by the Government since 1999 with 350 more to be hired by 2010.

Brumby: What do yo mean, I told you so?

Minister: Well I told you they'd find out about it sooner or later and now they have. And George Seitz has been caught out repeating the lie about 177 police in Brimbank.

Brumby: He's a real tool isn't he? So, what's the problem?

Minister: The problem is they're still killing each other on the streets out there and there's no thin blue line.

Brumby: So? Plenty of Labor Party voters out that way. We can afford to lose a few of them can't we?

Minister: I suppose that's why its called a "safe" Labor seat.

Brumby: Ha Ha Ha Ha!

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23519911-5014265,00.html

PEOPLE shot dead in the middle of the city in broad daylight, people stabbed with alarming regularity, parties crashed by gangs of youths almost every weekend, wild brawls, sexual and physical assaults recorded by offenders and posted on the internet.


RESOURCES

Most of Victoria's police stations are operating well below their full strength.

A local metropolitan station in my area is operating with only 53 per cent of its supervisors and 67 per cent of its other members available.

CRIME FIGURES

IT is commonly reported that the state's crime rates are continually decreasing, but as the saying goes "there are lies, damn lies and then there are statistics".

While some reductions in certain areas may be legitimate, the opinion of operational police members is that crime, particularly violent crime has drastically increased.

Another interesting SunRRA meeting is scheduled for this Wednesday evening.

Sunshine Library, 6.30 p.m.

I understand issues involving needle stick injury within Sunshine will be discussed.

Police attendance for community feed back on policing issues.

Harvester Ward missing out on 2.6 million originally earmarked for our community - ripped out by our own councillor.

Many other issues to get across and update residents & ratepayers on.

Committe available to hear concerns from members and community.

See you there.

SunRRA Meeting Wednesday May 7th wrote:
Another interesting SunRRA meeting is scheduled for this Wednesday evening.

Sunshine Library, 6.30 p.m.

I understand issues involving needle stick injury within Sunshine will be discussed.

Police attendance for community feed back on policing issues.

Harvester Ward missing out on 2.6 million originally earmarked for our community - ripped out by our own councillor.

Many other issues to get across and update residents & ratepayers on.

Committe available to hear concerns from members and community.

See you there.

http://www.theage.com.au/national/3000-shortfall-leaves-gaps-in-thin-blue-line

The report found that crime rates were higher in areas with more single parents "both as an indicator of the probability of domestic assaults and as an indicator of lower socio-economic status".

The areas most starved of police include Werribee, Footscray, Melton, Brimbank, Pakenham, Frankston and Geelong, the report states.

http://www.theage.com.au/national/violent-crime-jump-police-leak

VIOLENT crimes have risen to record highs in Victoria, leaked police data shows.

The statistics were leaked to the State Opposition from the confidential police LEAP database, and showed that crimes against people, including assault and robbery, increased by 1.4% in 2007-08 compared with the previous year.

Almost 43,000 people suffered from violent crime in 2007-08.

Yep, I found Brumby's excuse that all the increase is alcohol fuelled a little thin when the biggest increase was in robbery and, while I'm not in the know on these things, I don't think robbers are increasingly getting tanked up before demanding a stranger's wallet, mobile, money or clothing items.

Good to see the tributes coming in for Leading Senior Constable Jon Reader on his departure for Melton. The local press covered his move a couple of weeks ago but this week the Brimbank Leader publishes a couple of letters which give another insight into his work for the community.

One writer describes him as a "wonderful, wonderful man" who has given much to the Brimbank community. The other credits him with bringing a turning point to his life, and motivating him to become more involved in local youth issues.

Constable Reader has attended a number of SunRRA public meetings, so many of our members will have met him personally.

Although he is leaving for next door Melton we will miss his contribution and remember his tenure here in Brimbank as one that made a difference.