By Cam Lucadou-Wells
The Safer Streets pilot program is under threat as Dandenong business owners say they continue to be rocked by lawless youths, vagrants, vandals and burglars.
Greater Dandenong Council community strengthening director Peta Gillies said council resourcing was set to cease on the program.
“Current budget constraints do not permit ongoing resourcing for the Safer Streets initiative”.
Similarly, a proposal for a dedicated Community Safety Department at the council has faltered.
The council-led Safer Streets pilot, in partnership with Victoria Police, was formed last year due to a spate of crime and anti-social behaviour in Dandenong’s CBD.
The pilot had provided “limited resourcing” to engage with Lonsdale and Thomas Street traders about safety issues, Ms Gillies said.
It also led to more “streamlined communication” between the council and police, leading to “more responsive deployment” of police officers and a targeted placement of a police mobile CCTV trailer.
Ms Gillies said general perception of safety had improved as a result.
“Some specific safety challenges in hotspot areas of concern were mitigated.”
However, business owners have told of continued threats to their customers and staff’s safety.
During an affray in Langhorne Street, a car mounted the footpath and drove at groups of youths armed with knives and sticks on a business’s doorstep.
Video footage shows the car narrowly weaving past the males and between the building and an outdoor glassed area about 6.30pm on Thursday 27 April.
Victoria Police say it’s unknown if there were any injuries during the affray. No arrests have yet been made.
The business owner, who doesn’t wish to be named, says staff locked themselves inside during the affray.
He called triple-0 at the time, but hasn’t received a follow-up visit from police.
In the past year, his enterprise has suffered from several break-ins, acts of vandalism as well as a robbery from a man demanding money.
Just on 7 May, an apparently substance-affected man who “didn’t know what he was doing” stormed the premises and turned all the lights off. After being persuaded outside, he threw furniture on the street.
The owner described several staff being too scared to come to work.
“It’s getting too much. These people carrying blades – they can literally kill someone.
“These people should not be on the street.”
Meanwhile, several businesses in Thomas Street have reportedly being brazenly broken into.
CCTV footage shows a male lifting a parking sign out of the ground and then repeatedly ramming the pole into Afghan Kitchen’s front door window at 1am on Thursday 20 April.
After many attempts, he breaks a hole in the glass and steals a small amount of cash from the till.
Greater Dandenong CIU detectives say they arrested a 37-year-old Dandenong man over “several incidents” in Dandenong.
He was remanded and charged with burglary, theft, criminal damage and committing an indictable offence on bail.
Afghan Kitchen proprietor Maryan Akhoni said the $1500 bill to replace the glass door was the last thing that the fledgling business needed.
Like many restaurants, their street dining area’s glassed screens are punctured with holes and cracks from vandals.
Her cleaners, afraid for their safety, insist on the business owners being present while they work, Ms Akhoni says.
Meanwhile, her staff and customers are also repeatedly hassled and intimidated by an insistent, serial beggar, amid growing levels of homeless people on the streets.
Things were better when Victoria Police deployed a mobile CCTV trailer in the area. But after several weeks, the device was moved to another Greater Dandenong hotspot and the troubles re-emerged.
She said she’d like to see the CCTV return, along with more regular police patrols.
“Before we closed at 11pm, but now we close at 10pm because we’re scared,” Ms Akhoni says.
Acting Inspector Mark Goldspink, who is Victoria Police’s acting local area commander in Greater Dandenong, said “our community can expect to see a strong and sustained police presence”.
As part of Safer Streets, police and Greater Dandenong Council were “proactively” engaging with residents and businesses to “hear and act on the issues that matter most”.
CCTV and mobile CCTV trailers as well as “boots on the ground where they are needed most” were a “crucial tool” for monitoring anti-social and criminal behaviour, he said.
Live CCTV feeds at police stations were used to “de-escalate potential public order incidents before they escalate”.
Targeted patrols were conducted where “offending is occurring” to deter would-be criminals.
“If an offence is detected, police will respond and deal with the matter at hand in order to keep our community safe.”
Act Insp Goldspink said it was a “priority” to link people experiencing homelessness, rough sleeping or hardship to support services such as Monash Health, Wayss and Launch Housing.
Police also sought to identify contributing factors like financial, mental health, family violence or drug abuse and provide appropriate support, he said.
At the council, Ms Gillies said said “future investment” in Safer Streets and the mooted department would be considered in future budgets.
“Ongoing advocacy for additional resourcing from State Government is also being considered.”
Councillor Tim Dark said despite community safety concerns, there was a “lot of resistance” to funding a proposed Community Safety Department – which required hiring an additional staff member.
Councillor Rhonda Garad said she was concerned about the new directorate’s cost as well as the “boundary creep” of the council moving into a “quasi-police role”.
“We don’t have the power and resources to respond to flare-ups of violence and issues like homelessness.
“This role wasn’t going to have a real impact on that.”
Police are seeking information on the Langhorne Street affray. Any information to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or crimestoppersvic.com.au
