THE Police Association of Victoria has hit back at comments from Bendigo Trades Hall about local police numbers.Secretary Senior Sergeant Greg Davies launched a spirited defence of local police after Bendigo Trades Hall secretary Karen Kyle accused them of preferring weekends off to serving the community.Ms Kyle also said in The Advertiser that Police and Emergency Services Minister Bob Cameron should not be blamed for low police numbers in Bendigo.“Bendigo Trades Hall Secretary Karen Kyle made statements that are not only blatantly created to prop up her political paymaster Bob Cameron, but plain wrong,” Senior Sergeant Davies said.“Ms Kyle should firstly remember that the police at Bendigo are members of an association that is an affiliate of the Victorian Trades Hall, and, secondly, realise that the people of Bendigo are not the gullible fools she apparently thinks they are.“How dare she demand that police lift their game when, for half a decade, they have been run off their feet and issued with antiquated equipment?“Under her mate Bob Cameron’s watch, police in Victoria continue to be the lowest-funded and lowest-resourced police force in Australia, and they have been for five long years.”Senior Sergeant Davies said Black Saturday had shown the need for increased numbers of police and emergency services personnel.“Has (Ms Kyle) forgotten the lessons of Black Saturday already? Does she want to ignore the fact that rural police communications (including those in Bendigo) are a relic of the mid-20th century and that her Labor Government refuses to rectify the problem?“The single accurate comment she makes is her claim that the people of Bendigo have little protection - but it’s not from police not wanting to work, it is solely from her mate Bob Cameron’s Government not providing sufficient police to get the job done.”Senior Sergeant Davies said it was understandable Bendigo police declined to comment in response to Ms Kyle’s statements.“Of course the Bendigo police won’t comment - they could face discipline charges if they did - but in a time when police are spread thinner on the ground than ever before, her politically motivated, baseless and disgraceful attack on police will be seen by all for the political opportunism it is.”Mr Cameron said the Police Association of Victoria had requested 350 officers for the next term at the past election, but that 470 would be put on.“We’ve put on more than 1400 police during our time in government,” Mr Cameron said.“We’ve provided record resources to police, but the chief commissioner and the police corporate committee determine where those police go . . . as has always been the case.“I’d like to congratulate Bendigo police for contributing to a 14 per cent reduction in crime in the past year.”