State election: Matthew Guy promises mobile police station for Bell St Mall in Heidelberg West
STATE Opoosition leader Matthew Guy today promised to set up a mobile police station at one of Heidelberg West’s crime hot spots.
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STATE Opoosition leader Matthew Guy has promised to set up a mobile police station at one of Heidelberg West’s crime hot spots.
Mr Guy today announced the Bell St Mall would be one of three areas to get a mobile station under the opposition’s $3 million pledge for mobile stations, if they win the state election in November.
POLITICIANS AND POLICE TURN FOCUS ON SOARING CRIME AT MALL
BELL ST MALL UPGRADES WELCOMED
OPERATION TARGETS CRIME ACROSS BANYULE
He said the mobile vans would provide uniformed officers in the mall to respond quickly to violent criminal behaviour, thefts and anti-social behaviour.
According to Mr Guy, Crime Statistics Agency data showed crime in Heidelberg West had increased by 7 per cent, Heidelberg Heights by 11 per cent, and Heidelberg by 8.5 per cent since Daniel Andrews was elected.
Banyule Council’s community safety working group chairman, Alan Cook, welcomed the proposal.
He said there were problems with people drinking alcohol in the mall and becoming aggressive toward shoppers and traders, as well as thefts, violence and other anti-social behaviour such as urinating publicly.
“It scares people off, so the traders are losing money and the residents don’t feel safe to go there,” he told the Leader.
“The Heidelberg West police station closed more than a decade ago, and police from other stations are on patrol elsewhere and it takes time from them to respond.
“If we have police on the spot, they can stop trouble even before it starts.”
The Liberal candidate for Ivanhoe, Monica Clark, said the mobile station would increase the police presence in the mall and improve safety.
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