Claims of a sharp rise in burglaries and break-ins in the Mernda-Doreen area have been substantiated by police.
Local campaigner Tom Joseph is behind a push for a 24-7 police station in Mernda and says the 3754 postcode area is among the top three most burgled places in the state.
Acting Inspector Dale Flynn, of the Whittlesea police area, confirmed Mr Joseph’s concerns about rising crime in the area.
Mr Joseph said his reading of police crime statistics put Mernda-Doreen as the third-most-burgled postcode area in Victoria last year. He told
the Weekly he used 2012-13 Victoria Police crime statistics, ABS census data for occupied households and municipal council household data to assess crime in his area.
“We at the campaign believe the state Liberal government, which was elected on a tough-on-crime platform, will be failing the people of Doreen and Mernda if they fail to provide for funding a new 24-hour police station in the upcoming state budget.”
