Neighbours in Hunt Club estate in Cranbourne East terrified at ongoing crime
It looks idyllic, but a Cranbourne East housing estate is so rife with crime, terrified families are too afraid to go for a walk or let their kids play outside. With a spate of home invasions and drug deals, police even suggested one family move for their safety.
South East
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Terrified families say their housing estate is so rife with crime they are “living in fear”, with some afraid to even go for a walk and others forbidding their children from playing on the street.
Neighbours in Cranbourne East’s Hunt Club estate are pleading for more police on the ground to help rid their streets of home invasions, aggravated burglaries and drug deals.
The Leader spoke to more than 20 victims of crime living within the Hunt Club and surrounding estates.
Sue, last name withheld, who was a victim of a terrifying home invasion, said she was left traumatised after the incident two years ago, forcing her to move out of the area last year.
“It was 5.15am and my husband came rushing into my bedroom and said my car had been stolen,” she said.
“I then realised my handbag had been taken from my bedroom while I was asleep — this has left me completely terrified.
“We had to leave the area because it was so hard to sleep at night and even do simple things like go for walks — it was really scary.”
Another woman, who lived in a street less than 2km away from the estate, said her family was living in fear after renting a house in the area, which was known as a “drug dealing hotspot”.
“My husband saw a man put a bag in our hedges … we called the police and they found a bag with tens of thousands of dollars and about the same worth of drugs in it,” she said.
The woman said once the police had left they spotted the man again and phoned triple-0.
“Three other large men then pulled into the driveway. Got out of the car and confronted my husband, demanding to know where his bag was.”
She said her husband was terrified for his family and pleaded with the men to leave them alone, saying that police were involved and had taken the bag.
“The kids were screaming and terrified … we were advised by police the best thing to do for the safety of our family was to move.”
Another mum, who lives in the Hunt Club, said she was forced to spend thousands of dollars on security cameras after her car was stolen and her property significantly damage.
“There definitely needs to be more security patrols in the area. I think the police are doing everything they can but there just needs to more presence,” she said.
“Several neighbours and I have spotted young gangs loitering in the area and running amok — it’s just not safe and I wouldn’t let my kids play out on the street.”
Casey Neighbourhood Watch chair Rob Ward said estates were often targeted by a small groups of young people, mostly teenagers, for short periods of time.
“Neighbours need to take simple steps such as locking all their house, garage and car doors. It’s also important to take other measures such as joining a group such as ours,” Mr Ward said.
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Casey police Local Area Commander Inspector Donald Brown said police had dedicated and proactive patrols in the area.
“While local police haven’t seen a significant increase in the number of burglaries and thefts reported in this area, we encourage everyone to take a few simple steps to secure their home including install good quality locks on doors and windows.”
Insp Brown said neighbours should also install alarms and remove valuables from plain sight including car keys wallets and cash.
“Make your house look occupied at all times. For example, ask a neighbour to bring in your mail and bins if you’re away for a while and organise to have your lawns mowed.”