Victoria Police Release Staffing Figures as State Battles Officer Shortage

Victoria Police has released new staffing figures for Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula as it works to address a statewide shortage of sworn officers.

The data, current to 30 June 2026, shows 166.37 full-time equivalent police officers allocated to the Frankston Police Service Area and 169.41 FTE police officers to the Mornington Peninsula Police Service Area.

The release comes as Victoria Police works to fill more than 1,500 vacancies, increase recruit numbers and introduce Frontline Support Officers to return more sworn police to frontline duties.

Similar Numbers, Different Demands

Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula have almost identical direct police allocations despite facing very different policing demands.

Frankston is a densely populated urban municipality with a higher volume of reported crime, while the Mornington Peninsula covers a much larger area with dozens of townships from Mount Eliza to Portsea.

The figures do not show how many local positions remain vacant or whether either Police Service Area is operating below its authorised strength.

Specialist Police Support Both Areas

Southern Metro Division 4 also has 151.32 FTE police officers in investigation and specialist response roles, plus 60.59 FTE police officers in tasking and coordination.

These officers support both Police Service Areas when required.

Local Station Access Reduced

Mornington and Hastings Police Stations no longer provide 24-hour public counter services.

Hastings Police Station has also temporarily closed its reception several times due to unforeseen circumstances.

Victoria Police has previously said these changes did not affect emergency response or frontline patrols.

The staffing data offers a clearer picture of local police allocations, but it does not reveal how deeply the statewide shortage has affected Frankston or the Mornington Peninsula.