Victoria Police to shut public counters at four inner-city stations
Victoria Police will stop public counter services at Collingwood, Fitzroy, Southbank and North Melbourne stations from October 4, keeping the sites open as operational bases.
From October 4, Victoria Police will close public counters at four inner-city stations - Collingwood, Fitzroy, Southbank and North Melbourne - but the facilities will stay open as operational hubs. Assistant Commissioner Jo Stafford explained that the restructuring will allow more officers to conduct patrols, support operations such as Operation Harmony in the CBD and Operation Assurance on Victoria Street, and improve offender management.
Nearby stations like Melbourne West, Melbourne East and Richmond will keep 24-hour public counters. The decision coincides with a heated discussion on police resourcing ahead of the November state election, with Premier Ben Carroll promising new reservists and the opposition accusing Labor of breaking its pledge. A government spokesperson stressed that the operational shift is a police decision, not a political directive.
Why it matters
The closures affect how citizens can access police services and reflect broader debates on law-and-order funding before the state election.
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