By Xavier Smerdon
COMMUTERS feel least safe when they are passing through Wyndham’s two train stations at night than any other stations in Victoria, new figures reveal.
According to the results of the National Survey of Community Satisfaction with Policing – obtained exclusively by Star through Freedom of Information – only 14.1 per cent of people said they felt safe at Werribee and Hoppers Crossing train stations at night.
Wyndham was by far the poorest performing municipality, with Maroondah coming in second place with 17.9 per cent of people saying they felt safe at night.
Wyndham also ranked third worst for safety during daylight with 70.2 per cent of people saying they felt safe.
Sarah Mills catches the train every day to and from work from the Werribee station and said it is a daunting task walking to her car at night.
“It’s actually really creepy,” Ms Mills said.
“I finish work pretty late so by the time I get to the station it is around 9pm. You get a real feeling that someone could be hiding around every corner.”
Officer in Charge of the Werribee Crime Investigation Unit, Detective Senior Sergeant John Johnston, told Star that the police were working hard to make Wyndham’s stations safer.
“Police of course do get regular calls to incidents at local train stations,” Det Senior Sgt Johnston said.
“It follows that these very busy locations require a police presence quite regularly, but regardless our community should be assured that police are very aware of and prepared to respond to incidents at our railway stations.
“The community should also be aware that because police are not visible does not mean they are not present. Plain clothes police often perform duty in and on public transport.”
Det Senior Sgt Johnston said commuters should take measures such as wearing visible clothing, avoiding dark and isolated areas and carrying purses and handbags close to their bodies, to increase the level of safety.
A spokesperson for Police Minister Peter Ryan said Wyndham residents would have to wait another three years before Protective Service Officers (PSOs) start to patrol train stations in the area.
“The Victorian Coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to recruit 940 PSOs by November 2014 to make travelling the public transport network safer in towns like Wyndham,” the spokesperson said.
“PSOs will have the power to apprehend, detain, arrest and remove any offenders or threatening individuals while they are on duty at train stations.
“The roll-out of PSOs across every metropolitan train station and major regional centres from 6pm until last train every night will be determined by Police Command based on operational demands.”
