Community leaders rally to save Keilor Downs police station

Crime is simply a rising interest for Victorians, not slightest Former Brimbank Mayor Georgina Papafotiou, who is starring a assemblage rally to prevention Keilor Downs Police Station. She warns that a melodramatic simplification successful nationalist entree is occurring astatine the aforesaid clip transgression is rising and constabulary resources are under expanding strain.

“Crime is going up, constabulary entree is going down — that’s why we’re rallying,” Papafotiou said.

Papafotiou is joined by erstwhile Brimbank Mayor Bruce Lancashire, Fred Ackerman, and erstwhile Deputy Mayor Daniel Allan. Organisers accidental the run is aimed astatine restoring assemblage information and supporting section police.

“Our assemblage deserves unfastened constabulary stations, not closed doors. This feels similar a slow shutdown of section policing successful Brimbank,” the erstwhile politician of Brimbank said.

A cornerstone of the assemblage to close

Keilor Downs Police Station has been a cornerstone of section assemblage information since opening successful 1993. For implicit 30 years, it operated 24 hours a time and provided 168 hours of weekly nationalist access.

That entree has present been drastically reduced:

– Late 2023: hours chopped to 56 hours per week

– January 2026: reduced further to conscionable 22.5 hours per week

This represents an 86.6 per cent simplification successful access, rally leaders say.

Community leaders accidental the standard of the simplification is alarming, peculiarly fixed ongoing concerns astir imaginable further cuts oregon closure.

Crime rising successful Brimbank and crossed Victoria

The simplification successful constabulary entree comes arsenic transgression continues to increase. In Brimbank, 16,351 crimes were reported successful 2022, rising to 18,876 successful 2025 — an summation of 15.4 per cent.

These figures correlate with Victoria’s wide transgression trends, which amusement 474,937 transgression incidents recorded successful the year to March 2025, up 20.1 per cent. Total offences roseate 17.1 per cent to much than 627,000, with ongoing yearly increases of astir 13–15 per cent and grounds numbers of victims.

Locally, assemblage leaders study increasing request for a visible constabulary presence, with some businesses turning to backstage information owed to information concerns.

Police under pressure

Papafotiou emphasised the rally is not a disapproval of constabulary but a telephone for support.

“Police request support. Far too galore person near the unit and those who stay are under tremendous strain owed to deficiency of staffing,” Papafotiou said.

Reports bespeak hundreds of officers person near Victoria Police successful caller years, contributing to an estimated shortfall of astir 2,000 frontline officers.

Organisers accidental the interaction is being felt locally, with astir 25 officers reportedly leaving Keilor Downs Police Station, further reducing operating hours.

“Our constabulary are doing their champion under very hard circumstances,” Papafotiou said. “This rally is astir standing with them and ensuring they person the resources they request to support our community.”

The situation successful Brimbank reflects broader challenges crossed the state, including reduced hours oregon closures astatine astir 43 constabulary stations since 2023.

Nearby stations, including Caroline Springs, person besides experienced reduced hours.

Former Brimbank Mayor Georgina Papafotiou is starring a assemblage rally to prevention Keilor Downs Police Station. Photo: Supplied

Language barriers and entree concerns

Brimbank is 1 of Victoria’s astir culturally divers municipalities, with astir 60 per cent of residents speaking a connection different than English.

Papafotiou said this makes reduced face-to-face constabulary entree adjacent much concerning.

“Many successful our assemblage look connection barriers, and some are not literate successful English — oregon adjacent successful their ain language. Yet they are being asked to study transgression online. That is highly challenging and, for many, simply unrealistic,” she said.

She warned that shifting reporting systems online risks excluding vulnerable residents who trust connected in-person assistance.

The erstwhile Mayor of Brimbank said constabulary stations “are not conscionable buildings” and are captious frontline entree points for safety, support, and protection.

“Reduced hours bounds entree and undermine assemblage information and confidence,” Papafotiou said. “Cutting entree during a clip of rising transgression sends the wrong connection to the community.”

Community-backed rally

Organisers accidental the rally is driven by concerns that the assemblage is losing entree to section policing when it is needed most, with services reduced contempt colonisation growth.

There is besides increasing interest astir what they picture arsenic the “slow closure” of section policing services.

Support has travel from section businesses and residents, including existent property agencies lending show boards, among them Peter Travlos from Ray White Taylors Lakes and James Hatzimoisis from Barry Plant Watergardens.

Community members person besides contributed done leaflet organisation and corflute signage.

“This has truly been a assemblage effort,” Papafotiou said. “The support we’ve received shows however strongly radical consciousness astir protecting section policing.”

Rally details

The “Save Keilor Downs Police Station” rally will beryllium held connected Saturday 16 May 2026 astatine 10:00am extracurricular Keilor Downs Police Station.

Organisers are calling connected the assemblage to be successful support of section policing services and officers working under expanding pressure.