By CASEY NEILL
POLICE are helping Dandenong Plaza traders, security staff and cleaners to cut crime.
The shopping centre hosted a forum with guests from the Victoria Police Academy on 11 December.
Sergeant Duncan Bartley said about 25 people attended the forum.
“They had a spike in issues back in August with assaults so there’s been some ongoing dialogue with us and centre management,” he said.
Following police advice, the centre implemented a youth guard and has since recorded a drop in incidents.
“In November they had no assaults at all,” Sgt Bartley said.
The youth guard speaks with young people gathering at the plaza and listens to their issues.
“He’s getting that information, what they want, what the issues are,” Sgt Bartley said.
“He’s feeding that back through security and to us.
“The kids are becoming more respectful of what their roles and responsibilities are.”
The fluorescent vest-clad guard also moves on trouble makers.
On 26 November police held another forum with centre security and cleaners.
“They’ve never been incorporated into that before,” Sgt Bartley said.
“They’ve got something to offer, if there is an incident. If they can intervene, take notes, report what’s happening.”
Sgt Bartley said the more intelligence witnesses could provide, the more scope police have to act and the better they could target resources.
Regular forums are on the cards.
“The probable next one is going to be on the mentally unwell, and how security and retailers can deal with that,” he said.
“Low-level stuff should be dealt with internally. When there is a need for the police, we can respond knowing that they’ve done everything they can in the first instance.”
Sgt Bartley said the police academy’s OPTIC program, which puts officers in training into shopping centres, would return to the plaza in the coming months.
