By ALESHA CAPONE
THE new Hobsons Bay Police Inspector has announced he will target crimes including serious assaults, hoon driving and anti-social behaviour.
Last week Insp Richard Paterson officially started as the municipality’s new local area commander, replacing former Inspector Bill Mathers who has moved to Geelong.
Insp Paterson has worked with Victoria Police for almost three decades.
Recently he has helped co-ordinate the Victorian bushfire and floods emergency response, plus spent time as the Prahran Police Station Inspector.
Insp Paterson told Star he was keen to work with residents, businesses and community groups in his new role, to help improve community safety.
“I bring an operational policing focus to Hobsons Bay,” he said.
“We’re fortunate to have a diverse range of policing services in Hobsons Bay to deal with issues and I think it’s important to maintain a highly visible police presence in the area.
“I will continually evaluate our operational strategies to deal with issues as they arise, such as the case of increasing thefts along the foreshore area.
“I see our greatest issues to be serious crimes, crimes that occur in sizeable numbers, road policing and security – things that directly affect people. This includes anti-social behaviour.”
Insp Paterson said serious crimes ranged from assaults to drug offences which could include organised crime.
“If that kind of thing does happen we want to ensure it remains at low levels,” he said.
“I’ll be open and transparent with our local priorities and actions and have already started focusing on burglaries, theft of and from motor cars, drug offences and assaults.”
Insp Paterson said his road policing focuses would include speeding motorists, drink and drug driving, hoon driving and the safety of pedestrians and cyclists.
The new inspector said he also wanted to discover the unknown assailant who viciously attacked Altona bookseller Jill Brookes on 20 July last year.
The 61-year-old was discovered in her Harrington Square store with critical injuries after being assaulted.
“In regards with what happened to Jill, the investigation into that will continue and we are putting resources in to make sure that doesn’t happen again,” Insp Paterson said.
