By Cameron Lucadou-Wells
FIVE protective services officers will be watching over Dandenong railway station from tonight.
Premier Ted Baillieu, at the launch of the protection program this morning, said the station was the second outside Melbourne’s CBD to receive PSOs.
The station will be manned by the armed officers from 6pm to the last train seven nights a week.
It was well-known among local residents and commuters that there were safety issues at Dandenong station and its car park, Mr Baillieu said.
He said the deployments transform the stations into ‘‘places of safety rather than fear’’.
“We are extremely pleased with the feedback we are receiving from commuters and businesses at the stations where PSOs have already been deployed, which confirms that the PSOs are putting into practice what the government intended – addressing crime and perceptions of crime at rail stations.’’
Officers, such as last week’s graduate Rachel McCartney, have the power to detain, arrest and remove offenders or threatening individuals.
She said she felt ‘‘without a doubt’’ prepared to keep an eye on Dandenong station.
‘‘I feel fully prepared for what we have to face.
‘‘That’s why we’re out there to provide safety at the railway station.’’
The PSOs assigned to Dandenong will not include the most recent batch of graduates for now. The Dandenong officers have had on-the-job training at Southern Cross and Flinders Street stations under the supervision of transit police.
They will be backed up by local police monitoring Dandenong station.Assistant Commissioner Andrew Crisp of Victoria Police said the deployment would help further drive down public assaults.A local policing strategy Operation Safe Suburbs had already made a significant reduction in crimes against the person, he said.
He expected the perceived safety at the station to improve. A recent survey found 20 per cent of commuters felt safe at the station.
