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Policing satisfaction survey good news for Latrobe

A national survey of community satisfaction with policing has highlighted Latrobe residents as having higher levels of satisfaction with police services than other surveyed regions in Victoria.

By Latrobe Local News - 4th April 2003 - Back to News

A national survey of community satisfaction with policing has highlighted Latrobe residents as having higher levels of satisfaction with police services than other surveyed regions in Victoria.

Latrobe City’s Chief Executive Officer, Richard Hancock, said the survey had targeted residents in the City of Melbourne, and the municipalities of Brimbank, Hume, Banyule, Dandenong and Latrobe. "Latrobe City residents displayed higher satisfaction levels with police services generally (75.9); than their counterparts (Melbourne 63.2; Brimbank 63.1; Hume 70.9; Banyule 72.9; and Dandenong 68.9)," Mr Hancock said.

Residents of Latrobe also showed higher levels of satisfaction than any of the other Victorian areas when surveyed about their most recent contact with police, with police professionalism and with police integrity.

"I think the results of this survey are of great credit to our local police and the way they relate to the community at large. The results demonstrate the high level of cooperation and liaison between the police and community groups, schools, Council, and other administrative bodies," Mr Hancock said.

Latrobe City Mayor, Councillor Graeme Middlemiss said other factors in the survey were also pleasing. Respondents were asked how safe they felt walking or jogging locally during the day, and once again Latrobe led the way. "However, when asked about walking or jogging after dark, respondents in Melbourne City felt marginally safer than Latrobe respondents, perhaps to be expected with larger numbers of people on the street attending theatres and restaurants," Cr Middlemiss said.

Cr Middlemiss said the survey was not all good news. "One group of questions related to perceptions of driving and road safety issues. Latrobe respondents led the way in believing that they never speed at more than ten kilometres per hour, yet all the police data and accident statistics reveal that speed is a very big problem in our community," Cr Middlemiss said.

"Perhaps one of the reasons road trauma resulting in death and injury in Latrobe is so high, is that we delude ourselves into believing we don’t speed, whereas the statistical data demonstrates quite clearly that we do.

"Council has worked with the police and community agencies such as VicRoads to highlight speed issues to motorists. Illuminated signs that register and display vehicle speeds to passing motorists draw drivers’ attention to their current speed and whether they are within the speed limit. However, it is up to each and every one of us to be constantly monitoring our speed as we drive. Only if we concentrate in that way, can we recognise when we are actually speeding, and take remedial action to enhance our driving ability.

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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