St Kilda community call for CCTV, safe injecting rooms, to prevent ‘trail of destruction’ from drug use

RISING violence, drug use and anti-social behaviour around St Kilda’s gritty laneways has the community calling for more security cameras in the troubled suburb.

PEOPLE living near St Kilda’s gritty laneways are calling for CCTV cameras and a safe injecting room for the drug and crime-riddled suburb.

Rising violence, drug use and anti-social behaviour in Little Grey and surrounding streets — as reported in the Leader in recent weeks — prompted authorities to take action, including closing down the Regal boarding house and putting 24-hour security at the entrance.

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Albert Park state Labor MP Martin Foley also pledged money for CCTV cameras to be installed in Grey and Little Grey streets.

But the offer was rejected by Port Phillip Council at a meeting this month.

At a council-run community safety audit yesterday, residents were overwhelmingly in favour of cameras being installed.

Long-time St Kilda resident Megan Bawden told the meeting the Fitzroy St cameras, which went live in December 2016, had “definitely worked” to drive down crime and improve public safety.

“We were in a war zone but not anymore and I can’t see why you wouldn’t want to put cameras on Little Grey St,” she said.

And Ms Bawden’s calls for a safe injecting room in St Kilda were also largely supported by the crowd.

“These people have an addiction and we should give them somewhere to go to be safe,” she said.

Patricia Saunders, who owns Robarta on Fitzroy St, said St Kilda’s drug problem was “in your face like you wouldn’t believe”.

“It’s leaving a trail of destruction through our community and as businesses, we’re not going to survive it,” she said.

Port Phillip Inspector Jason Kelly said there was “no doubt” the area had been a hot spot lately and cameras would help alleviate some of the challenges policed faced.

“We would like to see fixed cameras in Grey St and welcome the opportunity to have mobile cameras we could deploy where needed,” he said.

“During summer we could use (the mobile camera facility) along the foreshore where we have a larger number of people gathering.”

Insp Kelly said during summer police had walked a tightrope between patrolling the backstreets of St Kilda and cracking down on out of control drinking along the foreshore.

“We put our resources where the masses are and summer was challenging for us but now it’s over we can concentrate on this pocket again — it certainly has our attention and focus right now,” he said.

Insp Kelly said regular foot patrols were conducted, including along Fitzroy, Grey and Little Grey streets and several arrests had been made in the area as part of Operation Little Grey, aimed at tackling drugs and violence.

People at the meeting also called for lighting improvements, graffiti removal and improvements to the footpath.