CCTV cameras to be installed at Richmond intersection notorious for drug dealing

CCTV cameras will be installed at a notorious Richmond intersection where dealers openly peddle drugs despite the local council not wanting them.

Drug dealers selling in plain sight in Victoria Street earlier this year. Picture: Alex Coppel

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CCTV cameras will be installed at a notorious Richmond intersection where dealers openly peddle drugs despite the local council not wanting them.

In a win for Victoria St traders, cameras will be installed on the corner of Lennox and Victoria Streets.

Traders have long called for cameras to be installed after raising concerns that the area’s seedy reputation was deterring shoppers and diners.

However, Yarra Council had resisted the calls, claiming cameras would only shift the problem on to residential streets.

The council refused to apply for a grant for the $250,000 pilot project, leaving the State Government to pick up the tab.

RICHMOND TRADERS SET TO PROTEST IN SUPPORT OF CCTV CAMERAS ON TROUBLED STRIP

Richmond state Labor MP Richard Wynne. Picture: Nicole Garmston

Richmond state Labor MP Richard Wynne will on Tuesday officially announce details of the 12-month trial to start next March.

“We want people to feel safe, to know they can go out and enjoy a meal with their families and shop in peace,” Mr Wynne said.

“We know this isn’t a magic bullet but combined with the rest of the work we are doing, we are working to combat crime on Victoria St.”

Yarra Mayor Amanda Stone “acknowledged the State Government’s announcement” before calling on it to join the council in a more “holistic approach”.

In 2011, the City of Yarra rejected pleas from local traders for video cameras to monitor anti-social behaviour along Victoria St.

“CCTV alone won’t solve the problem,” Cr Stone said.

“A holistic approach, including a medically supervised injecting facility, health and education programs, urban ­renewal, community partnerships and law enforcement, is required to achieve a safer and more liveable environment on Victoria St.”

The president of the Victoria St Traders Association, Meca Ho, said the installation of CCTV cameras to prevent and monitor crime was a matter of urgency.

“Traders have been calling for cameras for the past six years and the problem is getting worse,” Mr Ho said.

A Herald Sun investigation earlier this year captured more than 20 deals at that location in just two hours.

DRUG DEALERS PLY TRADE ON VICTORIA AND LENNOX STREETS

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