By Bridie Byrne
VICTORIA Police has reached out to senior secondary pupils to help it clamp down on hoon activity across Wyndham.
Creative pupils are set to design a mural highlighting the impact and consequences that the unruly behaviour has on the community.
Competition organiser, Leading Senior Constable Stephen Cook encouraged schools to submit individual, group or class murals for the competition.
“It will educate the next generation of drivers about hoon behaviour and will ins-til confidence within the local community that something is being done to address their concerns about this issue,” Leading Sen Const Cook said.
The winning mural will be displayed on a billboard outside the Werribee Police Station.
Leading Sen Const Cook said calls made to the hoon hotline from local residents increased considerably when the initiative was first launched in 2007.
“It was so successful that we went from receiving about 15 phone calls a week to about 65 calls with an 85 per cent success rate of detection,” he said.
MacKillop Catholic Regional College won the competition in 2007 with their mural slogan “Hooning Thrills, But Kills.”
Police and the Road Trauma Support Group have also delivered their safe driving message in information sessions at secondary schools.
“The presentations get the students to put themselves in the shoes of real victims and offenders and think about the choices they would make and how they would live with being in a motor vehicle collision,” Leading Sen Const Cook said.
Mural entries close on 9 April and the winner willbe announced on 20 April.
To report hoon behaviour call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
