There are 98 one-officer stations throughout the state, with local ones including those at Stanhope, Dookie, Murchison, Violet Town, Katamatite and Tungamah.
State Member for Northern Victoria Gaelle Broad said a plan by police command to change enterprise bargaining agreements would allow single-officer station staff to be used to fill vacant shifts in bigger stations.
“If the mobility clause is passed, one-member stations could end up backfilling vacancies to meet the staffing requirements of 24-hour police stations and eventually be forced to close,” Ms Broad told parliament.
“As well as deterring and responding to crime, people feel much safer knowing there is a police presence in the town.
“Steps to fill rosters should not be to the detriment of one-member police stations in regional communities.”
Ms Broad urged the police minister to assure local communities that one-member police stations would remain.
“People living in regional areas are tired of being treated like second-class citizens by the Labor Government,” she said.
“We heard evidence at the budget hearings in June that there are around 800 vacancies unfilled throughout Victoria Police.
“The government should be addressing these shortages, not robbing regional communities of their local police to fill the rosters at bigger stations.”
State Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland is supporting a new community online petition calling on the government to guarantee one-person police stations would not close.
She raised the issue in parliament, saying the change would risk the safety of those in smaller towns.
A spokesperson for Police Minister Anthony Carbines said decisions around the allocation and deployment of police officers were a matter for the chief commissioner.
The petition can be found at www.parliament.vic.gov.au/view-sign-e-petitions/details/12/526 and will remain open until November 17.
