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Police recruitment plan across the region to service remote and rural areas

By Dylan De Jong

A police leader is confident a major recruitment drive in the Wimmera will help police better service remote and rural areas. 

In March, Victoria Police announced Horsham and Northern Grampians police service areas would receive 44 additional police within a 12-month period – the most significant number of new police ever provided to the region in one allotment.

Superintendent Ian Milner said more than 30 officers had started since July, providing a substantial boost to efforts across the region.  



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“This allows us to provide a more highly visible policing presence in the community,” he said.

“It gives us a better ability to be able to hold offenders to account and drive down crime. 

“Serious offending such as assaults and aggravated burglaries, as well as drug offences, will remain a focus, as will high visibility policing operations, including in more remote areas.”

Twenty-six frontline constables have started at stations across Dimboola, Edenhope, Horsham, Kaniva, Nhill, Ararat, Halls Gap, Hopetoun, Murtoa, St Arnaud, Stawell and Warracknabeal, while four new sergeants have begun at Horsham and one at Ararat.

Mr Milner said having additional members, particularly in remote and rural areas, would allow police to respond to crime in a timely manner and connect with their communities. 

“The Horsham and Northern Grampians area covers more than 40,000-square kilometres and comprises six local government areas,” he said.

“These additional resources allow for dedicated tasking and operations targeting crimes that are having the most impact on our community. 

“There’s also a number of 16-hour stations that have a minimum of one sergeant and two other ranks. With the influx of members to the division it’s going to allow us to provide a more focused response to those remote locations.

“People living in remote areas are just as important to us as people in large rural centres such as Horsham, Ararat and Stawell.”

The recruitment drive is part of a Victoria Police plan to upscale its workforce in 2020-21, which includes more than 350 frontline police bound for regional areas.  

Six more officers are set to join the Northern Grampians Police Service Area across Ararat and Stawell by December, with five more starting in early 2021 across Horsham and Stawell.

In addition, two criminal investigators are also due to start in the next few months and will work across the whole division. 

Dimboola Sergeant Veronica Dempsey

Celebrating rural women

Dimboola Police Station officer in charge sergeant Veronica Dempsey is hoping a new era of policing in the Wimmera with women at the forefront will encourage women to pursue opportunities in Victoria Police.

Her comments came during International Day of Rural Women on Thursday last week. Officers from across Victoria Police’s Western Region Division Four, which includes Nhill, Dimboola, Horsham and Kaniva, enjoyed a COVID-safe morning tea to celebrate the day. 

“I’m hoping women within our smaller rural communities can see the many different options that VicPol pose as a career,” Sgt Dempsey said.  

“Women in rural communities can feel isolated because of that tyranny of distance.

“We’re so far away and sometimes they might not be sure where to get that sort of information in terms of police recruitment and careers.”

Sgt Dempsey said it was important for VicPol to acknowledge all women who chose a career in policing, whether in the regions or in metropolitan centres. 

“I want to shine a light on that – it’s important to celebrate the role the local women in policing have done in our smaller communities,” she said. 

“All the bigger metro stations are readily recognised, but it’s not often that we get together as a small group and celebrate the work the women are doing out here.”

The officer in charge is at the helm of new era at Dimboola Police Station. 

Sgt Dempsey works alongside first constable Georgie Schirmer, who started at the station earlier this year. They are the first women to work at the rural 16-hour station. 

“Prior to that it was an all-male workforce,” Sgt Dempsey said. 

“Now there’s both myself and Georgie. There’s also been recent appointments at Kaniva, Edenhope and Nhill, with females starting at those 16-hour stations.”

Sgt Demspey said a career in rural policing was ‘highly’ rewarding. 

“There’s so many great moments. I continue to smile every day. You make some life-long friends right from your first day at the academy – at all your workplaces,” she said. 

“Rural policing is certainly challenging. You need to be resourceful, patient and you’ve got to have good communication skills. You’ve got to think on your feet as every day is different.” 

The entire October 21, 2020 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!