By CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS
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ARMED guards are set to be rolled out at Springvale and Noble Park railway stations by October after initial success at Dandenong, says a leading police officer in the region.
Inspector Bruce Kitchen of Greater Dandenong police said the introduction of up to three protective services officers from 6pm until the last train had markedly improved public safety at Dandenong station.
For three consecutive weekends last month, there had been no robberies or assaults at the station and its surrounds during the PSO shifts.
“It’s a massive reduction in crime. Before the PSOs started, we could have half a dozen incidents a night on weekends plus the ones where people wouldn’t ring the police,” Inspector Kitchen said.
“The fact the PSOs are there is a deterrent. The community are a lot safer around the railway station, especially in the twilight hours when the PSOs are on.”
Crime, in general, had reduced by 80 per cent in June, Inspector Kitchen said.
On weekends, the PSOs handed out an average of 20-25 infringement notices for minor offences such as smoking in a restricted area, drunkenness, bad language and conduct, and possessing an open container of alcohol. They also arrested people in the station precinct for drunkenness or outstanding warrants.
Inspector Kitchen said the PSO deployment built on the success of Operation Safe Suburbs. Since the operation’s introduction last year, there had been a 36 per cent reduction in public robberies and armed robberies in Greater Dandenong, Inspector Kitchen said.
“Safe Suburbs has done a lot of the hard yards. Now the PSOs have taken [crime against the person] down completely.”
Trouble-makers seem to have shifted to neighbouring stations in the meantime. Inspector Kitchen said there had been an increase in “activity” at Springvale and Noble Park stations since the Dandenong PSOs started on May 29. “Noble Park and Springvale are still concerns.”
He expected PSOs at the two stations by October or “maybe sooner” to “take a lot of pressure” off other police units, with the first deployment at Springvale.
He couldn’t confirm how many PSOs would be patrolling the stations. “There could be less than Dandenong because those stations are not busy transit hubs.”
This month, the state opposition accused the government of backing down from its pledge for two PSOs guarding every suburban station by November 2014.
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