By Casey Neill
Sheriff’s officers recovered $78,000 in unpaid fines during a blitz on Dandenong Railway Station.
They joined with transit police and uniformed police officers from Dandenong for Operation Safe Station on Monday 26 June.
Greater Dandenong Local Area Commander Inspector Mark Langhorn said authorised officers checked the tickets of more than 1200 passengers coming and going from the Foster Street station.
They detected 61 breaches of the Transport Act.
“The sheriff’s officers spoke to 15 people and recovered in excess of $78,000 worth of outstanding infringements,” Insp Langhorn said.
“They’re talking to the same people we’re talking to. While we’re talking to them they’re running their details in their records.
“We piggy-backed off each other and helped each other.”
He said police arrested two people, one for possessing drugs and knives.
“The other was a mental health arrest and they were taken to hospital,” he said.
Insp Langhorn said police checked trains, buses and vehicles and searched a few people for weapons.
“We’ll be back down there again in the future, trying to be visible and making people accountable if they’ve had outstanding fines and chasing them up,” he said.
“The Dandenong transport hub is something the community uses and we want to make it as safe as possible.”
