by Philip Salama-West
Seventy-one arrests have been made in Greater Dandenong during a multi-agency sting operation against street violence over the past three months.
The operation was organised to combat street level assaults, robberies and drug offences in the region, focusing on the Dandenong CBD following community concerns about alcohol-related violence.
“We know that antisocial behaviour fuelled by alcohol is confronting for members of the community who are faced with these issues while just going about their day-to-day lives” said Sergeant James Frost of the Greater Dandenong Neighbourhood Policing Unit.
During the operation, 123 people were processed by police. Of them, 71 were arrested and charged for offences such as aggravated assault of a female, assaulting an emergency services worker on duty, affray, assault, disorderly behaviour, riotous behaviour, making threats to kill, trafficking and possessing methylamphetamine and GHB and discharging a missile.
A 24-year-old man was issued a banning notice over an alleged affray.
Also targeted as part of the operation were local licensed premises which were issued 65 penalty infringement notices for offensive behaviour as well as alcohol, tobacco and traffic offences.
Police stress that this operation reflects an uncompromising stance against alcohol and drug related crime in the Greater Dandenong Area.
“Operations such as this not only stop the offensive behaviour as it occurs, it also prevents additional violence and further crime fuelled by alcohol, such as assaults, fights, thefts and road trauma, by removing affected people from the street,” Sgt Frost said.
“The large number of arrests and charges laid show how little we will tolerate any form of violence in the CBD.”
Arrests of note in the Dandenong CBD include:
– On 12 February, a 24-year-old Narre Warren man was charged with affray, aggravated assault of a female, two counts of recklessly cause injury and three counts of unlawful assault, as well as criminal damage, behave in a riotous manner in a public place, behave in a disorderly manner in a public place, and throw or discharge a missile.
He was remanded to appear in Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 5 May. He was also banned from a licenced premises.
– On 24 January, a 20-year-old Springvale South man was charged with assaulting an emergency services worker on duty, recklessly cause injury and resist and hinder police.
He was bailed to appear in Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 9 May.
– On 23 February, a 37-year-old Springvale woman was charged with trafficking and possessing methylamphetamine and GHB, possessing a prohibited weapon without exemption, and dealing with property suspected of being the proceeds of crime.
She was bailed to appear in Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 6 June.
– On 26 March, a 37-year-old Dandenong man was charged with two counts of making threats to kill, make threats to inflict serious injury, aggravated assault of a female, two counts of unlawful assault, criminal damage, two counts of use threatening words in a public place, and using indecent language in a public place.
He was also charged with three counts of obstructing a council worker, and behaving in a disorderly manner in a public place.
He allegedly failed to appear in Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 22 April, resulting in a warrant being issued for his arrest.
– On 14 March, a 20-year-old man from Springvale South was charged with recklessly cause injury and aggravated assault.
He was remanded and appeared in Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 15 March, where he was bailed to reappear on 6 August.
– On 5 March, a 46-year-old man from Springvale was charged with possessing heroin and carrying a dangerous article, as well as criminal damage and tampering with a motor vehicle.
He was granted bail to appear in Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 11 June.
Police say that similar operations will continue in the future.
