By CASEY NEILL
POLICE made one arrest and interviewed three other suspects in a blitz on prostitution in Dandenong’s CBD.
Sergeant Pat Green told the Star that police in uniform and plain clothes targeted “gutter crawlers” and street workers during the operation on 23 July.
“There’s a zero tolerance approach,” he said.
“We’ll continue with our operation in a covert and overt way and we’ll do so until the problem is resolved.
“We’ll be out there at all times of the day.
“We’ll hold people to account – regardless of their marital status.”
The operation followed a report in the Star on 14 February that the growing problem with prostitution in Dandenong had seen a 70-year-old woman propositioned outside her Scott Street home.
The woman’s daughter said the issue was instilling “fear and discomfort” among residents and visitors to the area.
On 4 July the Star reported that gutter crawlers propositioned a 19-year-old girl twice in just seven minutes as she waited for a bus in Scott Street on a Friday night.
“Scott Street’s the hub, however we now know through using mobile phones that they move around,” Sgt Green said.
“The whole CBD is our target area.
“Our concern is that decent people, young girls are being harassed.”
Police last week arrested a 67-year-old man for stalking and interviewed a 68-year-old man and two women, aged 45 and 36, over suspected of soliciting prostitution.
They also submitted intelligence reports on eight people suspected of soliciting prostitution.
“If there’s no obvious offence, we keep intel on them and their cars,” Sgt Green said.
“If they show up again it will be a big trigger.”
He said police had saturated Scott Street with patrols since residents lodged complaints about the issue in February this year and would continue to do so.
He encouraged people to report prostitution to police.
“If we can build our intelligence base, then knowledge is power – it gives us that much to work with,” he said.
Greater Dandenong Local Area Commander Inspector Bruce Kitchen said street prostitution had been a problem in Dandenong for the past seven years.
In 2009, the Star reported that shopkeepers in Thomas Street were calling on police to crack down on prostitution because it was hurting their business.
Insp Kitchen said the workers had gradually moved from business areas into residential streets, and vowed to stamp it out.
