By Cam Lucadou-Wells and Jonty Ralphsmith
Police officers need to keep up the blitz on anti-social drinking, thefts and violence in central Dandenong, traders say.
Victoria Police – in concert with Greater Dandenong Council – has added a mobile CCTV trailer in Palm Plaza and stepped up foot patrols in an effort to make the streets safer.
Inspector Peter Koger, who is Victoria Police’s Greater Dandenong Local Area Commander, said the CCTV was “one of our most valuable tools” for deterring and investigating crime.
“It makes would-be offenders think twice before committing a crime, making the community a safer place.”
Police won’t give details on future locations for the mobile CCTV for “operational reasons”.
“Not only do we utilise CCTV but we are putting members where they are needed most with regular and proactive foot patrols throughout Greater Dandenong engaging with local community members and listening to the concerns closet to their hearts,” Insp Koger said.
“Mobile CCTV Units and proactive patrols are tasked based on operational needs, intelligence received and community feedback with their locations frequently moving depending on these factors.
“Our number one priority is, and will always be, community safety and we will use all resources available in order to detect, deter and prevent crime.”
However, some embattled traders say the police operation feels only like a one-off blitz, with the escalated police presence easing back in recent weeks.
Traders that spoke to Star Journal did not have strong thoughts about the impact of the CCTV trailer.
Betty Liao, store manager of Love Party and Confectionery Supplies, said she is again feeling unsafe at work because of “homeless people” gathering at the nearby pocket park between Palm Plaza and Lonsdale Street.
“Sometimes they scare customers out of the store because they follow the customers around,” Ms Liao said.
“Even when the police were here, it didn’t make much of a difference.
“The police would tell them to go away but they would just return when (the police) left.”
In Ms Liao’s time working there, police have been called out to incidents several times.
Another trader in the vicinity also said the blitz seemed temporary. They labelled a police response to a recent call-out as “pathetic” and slow, and discouraging a report being filed.
However workers at another outlet, which had its window smashed in June, noticed little criminal activity recently.
They felt safe, having seen police walk past more regularly.
As reported by Star Journal, traders had complained of a lack of police presence in June.
They told of assaults, damaged shop windows and cars, petty theft, bottle litter and pocket parks taken over by daytime drinking sessions.
Greater Dandenong Council’s city amenity director Jody Bosman told a council meeting on 8 August that Victoria Police rapidly installed the CCTV trailer after a council request.
He said it was part of a “wider” Safer Streets program, which would also include patrols by the police’s Mounted Branch and the relocation of “some of the troubled hot spots”.
Chief executive John Bennie said it was part of an “evidence-based approach” by the police and the council.
The CCTV could possibly be shifted among 12 locations in the activity centre identified by police, Mr Bennie said.
“The commitment (that) exists is it will remain in this area until these issues are satisfactorily addressed.”
