‘Real nightmare’: Trader fed-up with crime-plagued CBD

A businessman trading from the middle of a crime-plagued CBD witnessed a shocking incident this week. He’s called out the failure of a system that allows kids back on the street 24 hours after being arrested. WATCH VIDEO

A BUSINESSMAN trading from the middle of a crime-plagued CBD witnessed a shocking incident this week that left two women injured and he’s frustrated at a system that allows kids back on the street 24 hours after being arrested.

About 1.50am on Wednesday police allege seven girls aged between 11 and 15 viciously kicked, punched and dragged two women enjoying a night out in an unprovoked attack.

Downunder Bar owner Harry Treklis was at the scene of the alleged attack and made a triple-0 call to request help.

A screenshot video supplied by police showing the arrest of seven girls in the CBD accused of a brutal attack on two women.

He has video footage showing a group of more than 20 young people on Lake St in the vicinity of the latest alleged assault.

“The police know that these kids are in the city and do nothing about it,” he said.

“As a business owner on Lake St it has been a real nightmare over the last few years.

“It’s a real joke that these kids can get away with this anti-social behaviour.

“I would put money on it that those same kids are in the city again tonight.

“I’m tired of being a victim to them and seeing them in the city again after they have been in trouble for doing something wrong.”

Owner of the Down Under Bar on Lake Street Harry Treklis has a council camera facing his business front and several surveillance cameras of his own, but still witnesses crime happening every night. Picture: Brendan Radke

Guided by live information provided by City Safe camera operators, police were quick to arrest seven girls outside the Downunder Bar.

Each was charged with two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm.

Mr Treklis said the current system wasn’t working and a pre-emptive strategy was needed to make the CBD safe at night.

“When are they going to be proactive rather than reactive to what is going on?” he asked.

In 2019 the bar owner upgraded security at the Lake St business but saw no reduction in assault, theft and chroming outside the Downunder Bar.

“That doesn’t stop it but it helps me see it,” he said two years ago.

Campaigning for years to clean up his section of Lake St across the road from the bus stop, Mr Treklis is fed up with the problem that just won’t go away.

“It seems like it’s a yearly cycle of government incompetence,” he said.

In April a new youth justice task force strategy was rolled out to case manage every serious repeat youth offender in the region as part of a statewide push to reel in juvenile crime rates. Regular CBD patrols in the past six months had led to a slight decline in offending, police say. 

Originally published as ‘Real nightmare’: Trader fed-up with crime-plagued CBD