Calls for redevelopment as data reveals Broadmeadows train station crime
Broadmeadows station is in Melbourne’s top 10 for crime, with more than 90 offences recorded there in a year. And on the back of Leader’s campaign to make it safer, this is what our reporter found when she visited at night.
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New data shows Broadmeadows station is among Melbourne’s top 10 stations for crime, renewing calls for it to be redeveloped to create a safer space.
The latest Crime Statistics Agency figures show the number of offences rose from 69 in April 2009-March 2010, to 92 in April 2018-March 2019.
Dandenong station retained its top spot with 354 offences. Broadmeadows was 10th.
Hume Mayor Carly Moore said the council had continually highlighted the problems with the current layout of the station including entrapment areas, poor lighting and visibility.
She said it meant there were places for people to hide and engage in anti-social or criminal behaviour.
However, Cr Moore said they did not want the government to just invest in more Protective Service Officers (PSOs) or lighting.
The council recently joined the Leader’s Fix the Station campaign.
“We continue our call on the Victorian Government to design and build a new station that is more open, has greater lines of sight throughout and integrates better with surrounding infrastructure. All of which will make it safer for commuters using the station and residents crossing the railway line,” Cr Moore said.
State Government spokesman Joel Dwyer said in addition to the $4 million station upgrade last year, they had also installed digital CCTV cameras.
“New LED lights and security mirrors will also be installed in the underpass in the future, while further safety upgrades are being considered as part of the business case currently being prepared,” he said
MORE: IS BROADMEADOWS TRAIN STATION UPGRADE A GOVERNMENT PRIORITY?
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Victoria Police Transit And Public Safety Command Senior Sergeant Wayne Moed said Broadmeadows remained one of the busiest transport hubs and was the most heavily patrolled along the Craigieburn line.
“We continue to actively detect, investigate and prosecute offenders through routine patrols and planned operations,” Sen-Sgt Moed said.
Sen-Sgt Moed said in April PSOs started day time patrols along the Craigieburn line which resulted in routine patrols of the Broadmeadows train station particularly in the early afternoons when school finished. He said perceptions of safety by commuters on the Craigieburn line had increased 2 per cent over the last 12 months.
“We are working hard to increase this figure over the next 12 months,” he said.
SOJOURN REVEALS TRAIN STATION HORROR
The true horror of Broadmeadows train station can only be felt at night.
It was my first visit to the station, so perhaps the sights and smells were all the more shocking.
To be fair, there is a tiny part that is bright and modern — the new northern entrance built as part of the recent $4 million State Government upgrade.
But elsewhere third-world conditions come to mind.
Walls of concrete dominate everywhere, making it feel like a particularly decrepit prison complex.
Think dark and dingy and then amplify it by a thousand more.
There are many nooks and crannies — perfect for anyone to hide.
In fact, on the night of my visit, a group of men could be seen sitting in one of them.
The platforms can only be accessed via an underpass with plenty of blind spots that would make anyone feel afraid of what might be lurking around the corner.
There are mirrors to solve just this problem — but they are not very clear.
The overpass that dominates across Pascoe Vale Rd would come in handy to cross the busy street — if only anyone was game enough to use it.
A strong smell of urine lurked, but otherwise it was deserted — a perfect place for a crime.
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