By CASEY NEILL
Inspector Bruce Kitchen has returned to the station where he cut his teeth, this time in the top job.
But the move to Kingston Local Area Commander meant handing over the reins to his home town.
“I’m a bit of a positive person so I’m looking forward to the new challenge of going into a different area,” he said when wrapping up his three years in charge of Greater Dandenong’s uniform police.
Moorabbin police station was the first station he worked at and is now Insp Kitchen’s base.
“It’s completely different. It was only a 16-hour station then,” he said.
“Now it’s a division headquarters station.”
He said the Kingston police service area also included the Cheltenham, Chelsea and Mordialloc stations.
“It’s covering the beach area which is different. That brings some challenges come summer time,” he said.
“I’ll be working with a more senior, more experienced police population in that area.
“Because it’s bit quieter it tends to attract people who’ve been in the job a bit longer.”
Dandenong North resident Insp Kitchen said his local knowledge helped him to build some relationships and “helped with the troops with practical knowledge”.
He said an alcohol diversion program started in March last year had “probably been one of my highlights of my time back here”.
“It’s about identifying an issue in the community that affects individuals from a health perspective, and also identified the issue that cohort of people were causing the residents because of their anti-social behaviour,” he said.
“We’ve only had one person who’s completely completed the program, but his story in itself is pretty good.
“We’ve seen a reduction in the amount of times they’ve been locked up for being drunk.
“That’s had a major impact on the utilisation of our resources.
“Mills Reserve was a park in Noble Park that had a cohort of these alcoholics that were causing trouble from 10 to 12 o’clock at night.
“They’re gone from there now.
“You see people back in the park – mums with kids – 12 months ago, 18 months ago they weren’t.
Insp Kitchen said he was also proud of the relationship he’d forged between police and Greater Dandenong Council.
“We can deal with a lot of things formally and informally. We can deal with a lot of things collectively,” he said.
He was involved in producing the council’s safety plan, the Dandenong Railway Station precinct redevelopment, and a liquor accord.
The council presented him with a certificate of appreciation for his outstanding service at its 11 April meeting.
Mayor Heang Tak said the council would also write a letter to the Victoria Police Chief Commissioner expressing its thanks.
“Three and a half years ago I came back to Dandenong with open eyes,” Insp Kitchen said at the meeting.
“The co-operation with the community and council was fantastic.
“I accept this award with honour.”
Inspector Narelle Beer has stepped into Insp Kitchen’s shoes in Greater Dandenong.
