Police eye loiterers

By Shaun Inguanzo
POLICE are targeting “undesirable” people loitering in the Dandenong CBD in a bid to make the city more pleasant.
And they say the crackdown won’t interfere with shoppers, tourists or traders going about their business.
Dandenong Crime Investigation Unit (CIU) Detective Senior Sergeant Terry Kane said police started Operation Tuma last week with five arrests, 28 traffic infringements, and 11 other penalty notices for unruly behaviour on Thursday night 30 October.
Operation Tuma involved 19 police, some uniformed and others undercover, who checked 110 people.
Det Sen Sgt Kane said warmer months attracted more people to Dandenong’s streets – but not in a productive way.
“What we are particularly targeting is the undesirable type of person in the CBD,” he said.
“We are doing it with a zero-tolerance approach to bad behaviour, so the decent people can go about their business without feeling intimidated.”
Det Sen Sgt Kane said it was important to note that police weren’t out to hassle shoppers, traders or tourists.
He said the number of offences identified by police on Thursday 30 November was only the beginning of a summer-long series.
“We will be doing it again from time to time, when resources permit,” he said.
“I think the offenders were surprised to see so many police about, because not all of them were uniformed police, we had plainclothes as well.”