Somerville Plaza: Police crackdown on public urination at Peninsula shopping centre
Public urination by men — and some women — is rife at a Mornington Peninsula shopping centre, with one disgusted trader saying her store is befouled at least five times a day. Now the community is fighting back, and leaking photos of the main culprits online.
South East
Don't miss out on the headlines from South East . Followed categories will be added to My News.
Traders and police fed up with rogues urinating behind a Peninsula shopping centre have taken action to stamp out the “disgusting” practice.
Hastings police are running a wee operation to crack down on men — and some women — who like to relieve themselves at a particular spot at the rear of Somerville Plaza.
The Eramosa West Rd precinct’s popular pee place is located near bins and within 500m of at least four public toilets.
Live your best Melbourne life with a Leader Community News subscription
A trader, who wished to remain anonymous, said her store was hit at least five times a day.
“Most of time it’s men waiting for their takeaway dinners or they drive up in cars,” she said.
“But we’ve caught at least two women.”
The trader said the council contacted her and other traders about smell emanating from bins.
She said it wasn’t until she installed CCTV to ward off graffiti taggers that the truth came out.
“It smells pretty bad and we have to clean it up ourselves because we want to make sure the community is happy,” she said.
She said the wee bandits were “brazen” — her husband confronted one but was abused before the urinater returned later to finish the job and give the camera the finger.
Footage also caught a couple of men “going a bit further” than just urinating.
“It’s not just at night, it’s during the day also when there a lot of kids and families at the plaza,” she said.
Hastings police, on the request of the plaza, have since cracked down on the urinaters.
Part of the crackdown included increased patrols at the plaza.
Police — who also released images people they wish to speak to in relation to the urinating online — have already nabbed four people yellow handed.
These people were issued fines of $651 for public order offences.
Senior Sergeant Steve Duffee called the situation “disgusting”.
“It’s a shopping centre where people take their children so we definitely want to stamp out that behaviour,” he said.
“This matter was reported to police by the shopping centre as it had occurred on several occasions and although trivial to some it can cause potential health issues or could lead to other types of lewd behaviour.”
The social media reaction to the crackdown was split — some applauded the move while others asked why police weren’t catching real crooks.
MORE NEW WEBSITE RATES VICTORIA'S BEST PUBLIC TOILETS
ANGER OVER CYCLISTS WHO USE BONBEACH TREE TO PEE
WOULD YOU PAY FOR YOUR DOGS TO PLAY IN A PARK?
“Women have to wait, why should we put up with this, I drive a lot and always see it,” one woman said.
Another asked: “How about we concentrate on catching the burglars that are ripping off houses every week”.
Various other people almost sided with the pee fiends, suggesting more clean and working public toilets will help solve the problem.
If you have any information please call Hastings police on 5970 7800