By CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS
POLICE intelligence has seemingly beaten hoon brawn in Melbourne’s south-east.
With the help of their divisional intelligence unit, Dandenong and Casey police have hunted down hoon rallies and turned them into “car club meets” — with impressive results.
During the six-week operation, offences dived from a high of 108 offences on April 24 to zero over the past three weeks.
Some drivers are penalised with multiple on-the-spot fines for such offences as defect notices, speeding and unlicensed driving. Several fines can total more than $1000, plus possible impound fees of at least $800.
The model has been formalised into a trial hoon investigation team (HIT) to crack down on dangerous drivers in Greater Dandenong, Casey and Cardinia and launched last week.
The four male organisers of the illegal rallies were summoned into Dandenong police station to talk to Acting Inspector Steven Wood.
“I told them if someone gets killed the consequences could go back to the organisers,” he says.
The organisers were aged in their late 20s, combining gainful employment with their ungainful nightlife. Even so, the continual fines were starting to hurt. And so, the organisers and police came to an agreement.
“They ring me and ask, ‘Can 15-20 of us meet in a car park and look at each other’s cars?,” Acting Inspector Steven Wood says. “It’s turned into a car club meet.”
In the past year, 2200 cars have been impounded in Greater Dandenong, and more than two a day in Casey and Cardinia.
Using social media and text messaging, hoon organisers could attract up to 200 cars from around Melbourne at an hour’s notice.
They would meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays about 10-11pm at sites such as DandenongSouth and Hallam industrial estates, Bunnings Cranbourne and Krispy Kreme at Fountain Gate.
The hoon party would then “cruise” to second, third and fourth sites as far as Pakenham and Clayton for all-night burnouts and illegal drag racing at traffic lights and freeways.
The divisional intelligence unit worked out the likely meeting spots from social media and Crime Stoppers tip-offs, allowing up to 60 police to plan and swoop.
“You look at [the participants’] Facebook profiles and they seem like angels. Butter wouldn’t melt in their mouth,” Senior Sergeant Scott Roberts of Greater Dandenong highway patrol said. “Then you get out there and they just don’t care. We’ve got to change their attitude so they know the consequences.”
The HIT will now be trialled for three months.
Operation Swooper
Greater Dandenong and Casey:
April 23: 108 offences, 80 offenders, 37 defect notices, 5 speeding, 7 unlicensed or disqualified drivers, 1 impound.
April 30: 34 offences, 12 defect notices, 4 speeding, 2 EPA noise breaches, 2 unregistered.
May 7: 64 offences, 49 offenders. 15 speeding, 14 defect notices, 2 impounds, 1 drink-driving, 1 EPA-noise.
May 21: No offences.
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