By CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS
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ARMED guards posted at Dandenong railway station are expected to soothe commuters’ nightly fears at the station.
Premier Ted Baillieu, at the launch of the protection program last Tuesday, said the station was the second outside Melbourne’s CBD to receive the protective services officers.
The station will be manned by five armed guards from 6pm until the last train, seven nights a week.
Mr Baillieu said it was well-known among residents and commuters that there were safety issues at Dandenong station and its car park.
He said the deployments transformed 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.”
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 Dandenong officers have had on-the-job training at Southern Cross and Flinders Street stations under the supervision of transit police. They are 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.
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