By NATALIE GALLENTI
ALBION residents may finally be winning the war on their streets with figures revealing a drop in the number of syringes found in a laneway notoriously known as a hotspot for drug users.
Last year, concerned residents organised a petition calling for the closure of the laneway, located behind Albion Primary School and across the road from Albion Kindergarten, claiming it was a haven for drug users.
Residents claimed used syringes were often thrown onto school grounds.
Council data shows the number of needles collected within the laneway in July this year was six, compared to an average of 20 per month in the previous nine months.
At last week’s meeting, Brimbank Council vowed to continue to work with the community to put an end to the problem that has left many parents concerned for the welfare of their children.
The council also identified measures like additional flood-lighting with motion sensors of hotspot areas and additional pruning of the private trees to further increase visibility and deter drug users from dumping syringes in the laneway.
Neil Whiteside, Acting General Manager of Community Wellbeing, said the council continues to inspect the laneway at the rear of the school on a daily basis during the week, and if syringes are identified they are removed.
“Council has been advised by Albion Primary School that the number of syringes identified by staff and parents, in either the school grounds or in the vicinity of the school, has also dropped in the month of July 2012,” Mr Whiteside said.
However earlier this month two syringes were found by students in the phone booth opposite the school.
The reduction in syringes comes four months after CCTV was installed in the laneway as part of a one month trial. Within three weeks of the camera being installed it was stolen with police yet to identify the offender.
Albion Primary School principal Matt Coghlan isn’t celebrating just yet.
Mr Coghlan said the decrease in needles might be due to the inclement weather and the warmer months always brought with it in an increase of dumped syringes.
He said the school continued to have regular meetings with Brimbank Council and Victoria Police.
