Slammed for road use- Greater Dandenong Highway Patrol’s Leading Senior Constable Michael Bourchier, Sergeant Brett Shenton and Senior Constable Richard Walter are keeping local drivers in line. 67064

By Nicole Williams
GREATER Dandenong has been named and shamed as an area where Victoria’s worst driving offenders live.
But Greater Dandenong Highway Patrol Acting Senior Sergeant Scott Roberts said it just showed that local police were at the top of their game.
Dandenong was placed within the top 15 suburbs for speeding, drink driving and mobile phone offenders, in figures released by Victoria Police this week.
Noble Park was also shamed as a suburb with a high number of drink drivers.
“I would like to think we have excellent enforcement levels,” Acting Sen Sgt Roberts said.
“They don’t become offences and reportable until they are detected by police.”
“That’s got to be a good a barometer as any.”
Victoria Police figures ranked Dandenong Police Service Area (PSA) 13th with 1230 speeding drivers during the 2009-10 financial year, 11th for mobile phone offences with 526 offenders and eighth for drink drivers with 103 offenders.
Noble Park ranked 12th for drink drivers with 86 offences.
Head of Road Policing Deputy Commissioner Kieran Walshe said it was frustrating to see so many areas feature in all three lists.
“Today, I have a strong message for people living in the areas we are releasing today – you’re on notice,” Mr Walshe said.
“It is simply not acceptable to speed, not acceptable to use a mobile phone while driving and it is never okay to drink and drive.”
Cranbourne, Narre Warren, Werribee and Berwick topped the list of speeding drivers.
The most drivers who used their mobile phone live in Werribee, followed by Deer Park, Craigieburn and Cranbourne.
And when it came to drink drivers, Frankston was followed by Cranbourne, Hoppers Crossing and St Albans.
Acting Sen Sgt Roberts said Greater Dandenong Highway Patrol had recently run a lot more targeted operations, which was helping to reduce the area’s trauma figures.
Operation Hurricane was conducted on Monday and Tuesday, which targeted drink drivers, pedestrians, hoons, mobile phone offenders and other safety offences.
“We’re out there, and I’m sure our enforcement is having a direct impact on our trauma levels.”
He said the Dandenong PSA had a reduction in trauma figures this year, and were on par with fatalities in the calendar year-to-date.