By ALESHA CAPONE
BRIMBANK police have stepped up action to cut down on the rising rate of street robberies in the municipality, often committed by youths high on drugs and alcohol.
Brimbank Police Inspector Chris Gilbert has told Star street robberies account for a “substantial amount” of all robberies recorded in the area.
Insp Gilbert said officers believe high unemployment levels and increasing levels of amphetamine use have been causing the street robberies.
Victims of the robberies have often been leaving public transport hubs at night.
Insp Gilbert said because many train stations on the Watergardens line are now staffed by protective services officers (PSOs) during evenings, offenders have been committing robberies in the street rather than at transport locations.
“We’ve had some people robbed after getting off NightRider buses very late on weekends and that’s virtually when there’s no people around at all and businesses are shut,” he said.
Insp Gilbert said arrests have already been made in relation to the street robberies.
He said police believe teenagers and young adults, possibly taking drugs or alcohol, have been committing some of the crimes.
“You know when they’re committing an offence which results in big jail time, just to steal one mobile phone or small amount of cash off someone, it’s not worth it and they haven’t put much thought into it,” he said.
Insp Gilbert said since Brimbank recorded a 25 per cent rise in robberies between September 2012 and October this year, the rates dropped during November.
Insp Gilbert said many residents in Brimbank relied solely on public transport so police have been working to address the vulnerability of victims and the causes of the crimes.
Insp Gilbert said a police campaign to crack down on anti-social behavior, such as public liquor consumption in the Sunshine CBD has been successful across the past few months.
He said police have since begun been dedicating more hours, including foot patrols, to various suburban business centres throughout Brimbank.
“We’re already spending time at Watergardens and in St Albans and certainly we’ll be in Deer Park a bit more as well,” Insp Gilbert said.
