By GEORGIA WESTGARTH
DANDENONG, Noble Park, Springvale and Cranbourne train stations are among a cluster of seven locations across Melbourne with the highest number of infringements issued by protective service officers.
More than 20 per cent were issued at the seven locations with Dandenong exceeding them all – including Flinders Street and Southern Cross stations – totalling 1001 fines from 2013 to 2014.
Inspector Pat Allen from Victoria Police described Dandenong train station as a high risk community location and said more resources were put in such areas.
“Dandenong is a large transport hub where a lot of people converge and since PSOs have been stationed there crimes have been detected that otherwise wouldn’t have been, increasing the number of fines,” he said.
Insp Allen said anti-social behaviour such as being drunk in a public place and smoking were some of the most common offences in Dandenong.
In a Dandenong crime statistics report, infringements for assault, theft, drug use and possession, disorderly conduct and weapons and explosives ranked the highest from 2011 to 2014.
But Insp Allen said even with high numbers of fines there was a “very small percentage on the train system that is committing the offences”.
Working from 6pm to the last train, PSOs have been stationed at Dandenong since February 2012 and since then recorded offences of robbery and drug dealing and trafficking have decreased.
Sexual offences, abduction, arson and driving offences at the Dandenong station were ranked the lowest.
