Southland train station crime rise strikes fear into Cheltenham neighbourhoods
Footage has emerged of a rowdy party at an Airbnb property in Cheltenham showing dozens of people screaming through a housing estate. It comes amid reports of increased crime since Southland station opened.
Inner South
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An increase in car break-ins, burglaries, wild Airbnb parties, public drinking and robberies around Southland railway station have left families on edge, with fearful residents now banding together to fight crime in the area.
Residents in the small Cheltenham pocket of Pennydale and neighbouring Jack Rd Mirvac Estate say there has been a jump in crime since the station opened in 2017.
Pennydale Resident Action Group president Derek Screen said people were ramping up security, avoiding walking at night and working to create a new neighbourhood watch group to tackle the problem.
Mr Screen said he personally knew of at least two houses recently being broken into while people were home during the day, while about 50 cars had broken into over two months — including two in his own driveway.
He said the area was basically crime-free before the station opened and residents had noticed a huge difference but “had come together to do something about it”.
“There’s definitely a general feeling of uneasiness and because there’s been so many break-ins and kids drinking late at night, elderly people are concerned about coming out in case someone will hurt them,” Mr Screen said.
“It’s getting people uptight about being at Bay Rd or Park Rd and we have hooligans hitting the area too, people on motorbikes canvassing the area at 4am and looking in houses.”
Mirvac Estate resident Stergios Tartiris said there were often burglaries and car break-ins overnight.
Mr Tartiris said there were also rowdy parties at three nearby Airbnb properties.
He said the latest Airbnb party in Abbington Ave on April 27 — where an unlicensed teenager, 17, was arrested by police after clipping six cars and a street sign at 3am — was “more like a riot” as 25 to 30 people ran and screamed across the estate.
“It makes you worried and we are fed up,” Mr Tartiris said.
“The police come out every time but there’s not much they can do because there’s just no proper legislation and responsibility at these properties.”
The crime spike has led to residents working with police to register neighbourhood watch groups in both areas to “put people’s minds at ease”.
Sandringham state Liberal MP Brad Rowswell, who met with Mirvac Jack Rd residents, said he had written to Bayside Council asking them to apply for a grant to install CCTV cameras and lighting at the estate’s two entrances.
“Residents are deeply disturbed by a recent spate of criminal and anti-social activity within the development,” Mr Rowswell said.
“(They) have a right to feel safe in their homes (and) the alleged criminal activity that has taken place at the Jack Rd Estate is simply unacceptable.”
Police spokeswoman Amelia Penhall confirmed there was a jump in offences in the Kingston Police Service Area last year, with 27 offences at the station and one third related to property and deception offences.
Ms Penhall said intelligence “did not suggest (the rise in crime) was directly linked to the station opening”.
She urged people to report suspicious behaviour.
“We want to reassure the public that local police regularly conduct patrols in the areas surrounding the shopping centre and railway station and respond to incidents as required,” she said.
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Police raided a Luxmoore St house in Pennydale on June 7 and arrested a man, 38, over drug offences, deal with proceeds of crime and prohibited weapons offences.
Bayside Council planning and amenity director Hamish Reid said the council was assessing lighting in the Mirvac Estate and “will make improvements if necessary”.
But he said its CCTV policy did not extend to monitoring private property or public areas.
“We are currently investigating how best to promote and coordinate community safety activities in Bayside and a review ofcouncil’s CCTV policy,” Dr Reid said.
Moorabbin Proactive Policing Unit has been contacted for comment.
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