By BELINDA NOLAN
BRIMBANK Police have launched a desperate bid to keep its Transit team at Sunshine, following an alarming spike in violent crime over the past month.
The Transit unit was posted to the Sunshine Police station in June last year in a trial effort to drive down the city’s
booming public transport crime.
Within six months the fledgling unit had made its presence felt, nabbing 89 criminals, issuing 653 fines and questioning 3000 people.
But its success was short-lived. At the start of January the unit was dispatched to Charlton, in Northern Victoria, to help the flood ravaged community find its feet.
But while its officers were helping food victims, crime in Brimbank began to rise.
Brimbank Inspector Michael Grainger said police had noticed a disturbing increase in violent crime over the past month, which he attributed to the team’s absence.
Insp Grainger said assaults and robberies had risen dramatically, particularly around the city’s train stations, with knives and screwdrivers commonly wielded as weapons.
Many crimes were committed by gangs, with Sunshine Station the city’s biggest crime hotspot.
Other common crime scenes include Albion, Ginifer, Watergardens and St Albans train stations.
Insp Grainger said the crime hike highlighted the need for the transit team to remain based in Brimbank.
He is currently compiling a report to Victoria Police recommending that it keep the unit at Sunshine.
Although the unit is centrally controlled and can be dispatched anywhere in Victoria, being based in Brimbank means it can respond quicker to the city’s crime.
“We want them to stay here and they (the unit) want to stay here,” Insp Grainger said.
“Before they left for the floods we had started to see some terrific results.
“They take a lot of pressure off our guys because they respond to jobs our members can’t get to.
“They also provide a visible presence. They regularly walk from the police station to Sunshine or Albion stations and just seeing them makes people feel safer.
“They deter crime, not just at the stations or on public transport, but in the car parks, shopping centres and on the streets.”
Lance Ross is one of two sergeants who headed up the specialised unit, which also includes four gazetted members and six trainee constables.
In six months of operation, Sgt Ross said his team had already made a big impact in Brimbank and were hoping to slash crime further.
Sgt Ross said his team took ownership of the train stations, keeping them patrolled and taking pressure off uniform officers.
“The beauty of being stationed here is we get to know the local identities and two-three months on we had started to see
the effects.
“We’re out patrolling every day and the offenders see us and they start to get the message.
“They get sick of us speaking to them so they move on, which has a positive effect on crime.”
Although relatively new to Brimbank, Sgt Ross said the unit had begun to notice trends in the city’s crime.
The most common type of crime committed on the Sydenham train line is robbery, followed by assaults and drug offences, according to Sgt Ross.
Screwdrivers and box cutter knives are the weapons of choice among offenders, while marijuana and speed are preferred drugs.
There are also marked differences between stations, Sgt Ross said.
While Sunshine is the scene of more robberies and assaults, Watergardens is a stomping ground for car thieves.
Sgt Ross said his team hoped to continue its good work at Sunshine.
“Since we were away, crime around the stations has gone through the roof, which shows that we were making an
impact,” Sgt Ross said.
“Clearly we’re needed here and we want to stay and continue doing what we’re doing.”
