Elizabeth St traders plead for permanent police hub amid ongoing drug-fuelled violence
Frightened Elizabeth St traders are begging for a permanent 24-hour police hub at the busy precinct as ongoing drug-fuelled violence and anti-social behaviour plagues the area day and night.
Police & Courts
Don't miss out on the headlines from Police & Courts. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Fearful Elizabeth St traders are pleading for a permanent 24-hour police hub as ongoing drug-fuelled violence and anti-social behaviour plagues the busy precinct day and night.
Following a Saturday Herald Sun investigation in June that exposed the state of the city after dark, shopkeepers and even security guards say “enough is enough” as they continue to “work in fear” during the daylight.
A security guard, who has worked on Elizabeth St for more than five years, said every day at work he fears that he will not return home at the end of his shift.
“I have been assaulted on many occasions, including being punched in the face by drug users,” he said.
“I’ve seen people being stabbed and fighting almost daily.
“I dread coming to work and I feel really scared about my safety. I am always on edge and working in fear.
“I’ve seen people injecting inside the shop and even laying in the middle of aisles while customers are walking around.”
One restaurant worker was recently threatened with a glass shard by a drug-affected man after refusing to hand over free food, but her frightening ordeal is a common occurrence for people working in the area.
The Saturday Herald Sun visited Elizabeth St this week, witnessing a violent altercation break out in broad daylight between two men, who appeared to be known to each other, outside the KFC store.
In confronting scenes captured on video, one man – who appeared to be substance-affected – lashed out and punched another man before walking into the store and throwing bags of food in his direction.
Shocked onlookers and workers heading home for the day were shaken by the incident, with police arriving within 10 minutes to diffuse the fight.
Nobody was arrested, but KFC staff said these types of violent incidents were a “daily occurrence”.
“This is happening all the time,” one exasperated worker said.
“We need a permanent police hub or more visible police in the area.”
Workers pointed to the compact police booth at the other end of Flinders Street Station, opposite Federation Square, as an example of what was needed in their area.
Lord Mayor Nick Reece, who has placed city safety and cleanliness at the top of his agenda, stopped short of backing a permanent police hub, but called on police to deploy more officers to the strip.
“A further increase in police presence in this part of the city would be very welcome and have a huge impact on safety in this area,” he told the Saturday Herald Sun.
“I know from the conversations I’ve had with the good people who live and work around Elizabeth Street South that they don’t always feel safe.
“Whatever it takes, I will work with businesses, residents and stakeholders to make this a vibrant, bustling part of the city.”
Johnny Sandish, who owns Xpressomondo on nearby Degraves St and has watched crime escalate in the precinct, said Elizabeth St “urgently needed” a permanent police hub.
“This (police hub) is something this area definitely needs,” Mr Sandish said, adding it would be a deterrent for the behaviour plaguing the area.
“There used to be a police hub on Flinders Lane but it closed in 2019.
“When it was open there wasn’t as much crime compared to now.”
Victoria Police “outgrew” the Flinders Lane police station and moved to the state-of-the-art Melbourne East police station on Bourke St in 2019.
Visnu, who manages a take away outlet on Elizabeth St, backed calls for a stronger police presence in the precinct in the face of escalating crime.
“I always see police responding immediately to crime, but it would be helpful for us to have a permanent police hub here because my workers and I would feel safer,” he said.
“If people involved in crime see a stronger police presence, it will deter them.
“It’s a disaster now. When we opened the shop a year and half ago, the crime wasn’t this bad.
“All of the problems mostly involve people on drugs and the crime continues to be out of control.”
Dimple, who owns a restaurant around the corner on Flinders St, said businesses in the precinct were “suffering”.
“Three major businesses are closing on this street including Woolworths, a cafe and another restaurant. The area has really changed since Covid,” she said.
“Elizabeth St is still a problem with crime but a bigger issue for businesses on Flinders St has been the Metro Tunnel works because of the large barrier wall covering our businesses.
“This has caused more anti-social behaviour as people hide behind the wall out of police visibility and we also have less foot traffic because people don’t know we’re here.”
Woolworths confirmed the closure of its Flinders St store in early September.
Homeless teenager Cody, 17, told the Saturday Herald Sun he hangs around Elizabeth St because it was a thoroughfare where he did not need to worry about disturbing families.
He said he witnesses drug users “running amok”, attacking businesses and their workers.
“It’s not fair on businesses at all. They’re all nice people,” he said.
But he said a police hub would cause “more harm than good” for people like himself because they are lumped in with the drug users, who are also homeless.
A Victoria Police spokeswoman said police patrolled Elizabeth St “every single day” and constantly engaged with traders “to ensure they feel supported”.
“In addition to this, a mobile police unit is regularly positioned at the south end of Elizabeth Street on Friday and Saturday nights,” the spokeswoman said.
“The nearest police station to Elizabeth St is only 500m away and its doors are open 24/7.”
The City of Melbourne convened a Elizabeth St roundtable of Victoria Police, government and stakeholders earlier this year, which has prompted an increased frequency of cleaning and the removal of seating to keep people moving and discourage anti-social behaviour.
City Precinct Traders Association president Chloe Beevers said the association supported a 24/7 police presence in the area, which would be able to “activate immediately”.
“I’ve witnessed violence in that area and by the time police arrive, things have already gotten out of hand and people have been injured or people have escaped, so there does need to be a police presence immediately on site so that they can tackle … the situation in a more timely fashion,” she said.
But Residents 3000 president Rafael Camillo said authorities needed to avoid pushing the anti-social behaviour from one side of the city to another.
“It needs to be not only Elizabeth St,” he said.
“There should be (a police hub) near the Salvation Army near the top of Bourke St and there should be one near the Queen Victoria Market, then I think it is cohesive and balanced.
“We also need to have other wraparound services to be provided by the state government.”
Join the conversation
$13m a day: Organised crims’ tobacco wars exposed
Criminals are vying for control of the “highly lucrative” illicit tobacco market, which has become a national problem, warns ACIC chief.
Read more
‘I’m being chased’: Terrifying moments before AFL star’s car wrecked
Dashcam footage has captured the shocking lead-up to the crash that flipped former Hawthorn star Jordan Lewis’ luxury vehicle — showing the car that hit him in a wild high-speed pursuit just moments earlier.
Read more