A DEBATE is raging over major changes to the opening hours of police stations in the Whittlesea Police Service Area (PSA).
Claims and counter-claims are flying, with the state opposition dubbing the changes as savage cuts, and the State Government saying these are part of an operational decision by Victoria Police.
State Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell said the cuts to the police station hours expose the government’s “failure to fix severe staff shortages in Victoria Police, even as crime rises to record highs.”
Opening hours at police stations in the area were first cut late last year, with Mernda and Epping stations closed on weekends and open between 10am and 6pm on weekdays, and Whittlesea station open only two days a week.
Victoria Police announced last week that from May 31, Mernda police station, which opened in 2017 as a 24/7 operation, will be open for only two days a week – Tuesday and Thursday from 10am and 6pm.
Whittlesea police station will have no scheduled opening hours and will be available to the public “by appointment”.
After the latest round of cuts, Mill Park station will also no longer be 24/7, and will be open from 1pm to 9pm on weekdays, and from 10am to 6pm on weekends.
Ms Lovell said under Labor, crime is up but police stations are closing because Premier Jacinta Allan has “failed to fix the staffing crisis. This is unacceptable for the community who need a local police station where they can find safe refuge.”
She said hard-working local police are doing the best they can in difficult conditions, but the government is not giving them the resources and support they need.
In the 12 months to December 2025, criminal incidents in the Whittlesea PSA jumped by 7.7 per cent, bringing the total increase in crime to 56 per cent since Labor was last elected in 2022.
A government spokesperson told the Review that while the Liberals “recklessly undermine the Chief Commissioner and Victoria Police, we are backing them with the funding and resources they need to keep Victorians safe.”
“We have built the biggest police force in Australia and applications for new officers are at a record high – backed by our record $4.5 billion investment into Victoria Police, including funding for more than 3600 new police officers,” the spokesperson said.
“We back the Chief Commissioner’s overhaul to move more officers out from behind desks and onto the street, increasing visible policing in high demand areas. Operational decisions regarding counter hours at police stations are a matter for Victoria Police and are not made by the government.”
The spokesperson said this year’s budget delivers $44 million for 50 additional PSOs and $62 million to recruit up to 200 reservists – putting more officers on patrol, for more hours, in more places to keep Victorians safe.
A Victoria Police spokesperson said police is further reducing reception counter hours at Mernda, Mill Park, Whittlesea and Epping police stations.
“To be clear – these police stations are not closing, and officers will continue to work and deploy from them. It is only the public reception counter hours that will reduce to put more police in the community,” the spokesperson said.
“These changes will not impact the 24/7 response we provide – in fact, it will boost it by adding extra police vehicles on the road when the community need us the most.
“The current reductions have allowed Whittlesea police to conduct a range of ongoing proactive operations to prevent and detect crime. This includes Operation Plaza, which sees police patrol Epping Plaza, Uni Hill Bundoora and Westfield Plenty Valley to engage with retailers and ensure public order.
“We have also been running Operation Renegade at Mernda train station alongside Protective Services Officers to deter anti-social behaviour and boost commuter safety. These proactive operations will continue to run with extra police resources taken from admin duties.
“The changes to reception counters also reflect quieter times when there are often less people attending to visit the police station. As always, if you are in an emergency, please call Triple Zero (000) for an immediate police response, rather than visiting a police station.
“We have general duties, Highway Patrol, detectives and proactive police working around the clock to respond and keep the community safe.”