Top cop wants youth focus

By Bridget Cook
SENIOR Sergeant Haydn Downes, the new top cop at Springvale police station, says youth issues will be among his top priorities.
“We want to focus on issues, including alcohol and illegal substance abuse,” he says. “We want to try and break down the barriers between kids and the police.”
Accordingly, he says he will work closely with the Greater Dandenong Council, Noble Park Traders Association and other community groups and organisation to try to deal with these concerns.
Sen. Sgt Downes, who started at Springvale on 29 March, has been a police officer for 28 years and has worked mostly in the eastern suburbs.
But he also spent 10 years working in Mildura, where he held leadership roles including being officer in charge and also as leader of the traffic management unit.
And after three weeks at Springvale, he says he has found many similarities between Mildura and Springvale, even though both suburbs have their own issues.
“They are both very multicultural, Springvale is just more densely populated,” he says.
“As police we need to understand the different cultures within the communities and residents need to understand what we do as police.”
Sen. Sgt Downes says that at the moment he is just settling in, but is looking forward to working with the other officers to provide good service to the community.
“They are a good, young bunch of cops, who are all very keen and focused on making a safer community for everyone,” he says.