‘Better police work’ means drugs bust up A SENIOR Frankston policeman says the 42 per cent rise in drug dealing reported in the recently released State Crime Statistics reflects better detection by officers. “We’re doing more to target dealers and remove illicit substances from the streets,” Acting Superintendent Simon Humphrey said. The rise in drug dealing is included in a 7.1 per cent jump in crime in Frankston in the past year. In the year to March, a record 15,286 offences were reported in Frankston compared to 14,271 the year before – up 1015 in the year. “Peninsula Health has seen a 20 per cent increase in ice-related presentations,” Peninsula Health’s operations director mental health Sharon Sherwood said. “We are working with other key stakeholders – the council, state government, Primary Health Network, and Monash and Melbourne universities – on a high level project focusing on pharmacotherapy issues in Frankston.” Frankston mayor Cr James Dooley jumped to the city’s defence over claims that drug offences in Frankston have rocketed by more than 50 per cent in the past five years. Cr James Dooley said the city’s ice problem was not out of control and that policing shortages and the large number of methadone facilities, had made the problem worse. “It is true that Frankston did see a significant increase in drug offences 2012-16, but all of this increase occurred in 2013,” he said. “Since then crime rates have remained quite stable.” Cr Dooley said the reason for the earlier dramatic increase was that more police were allocated to Frankston resulting in more arrests.
He said drug offences, particularly, were driven by police activity: “The more police you have, the more street-drug offences are targeted and the more crime will be recorded.” Frankston City Council had proactively advocated successive state governments over a long period to correct what was perceived as a shortage of police, resulting in numbers rising significantly 2011-2014, Cr Dooley said. “This stemmed from the previous state government’s 1700/940 project, with Frankston receiving the most “extra” police in Victoria as a result. “This increased level has been maintained by the present state government and is reflected in the level of offences recorded. We are thankful for the increased police presence in Frankston.” Cr Dooley said the city needed more drug rehabilitation services – but this was a state-wide and national issue and not isolated to Frankston. “Given it costs about $100,000 a year to jail a person, there is a real financial motive to providing rehabilitation,” he said. “Of the 260 drug dealing and trafficking offences recorded in Frankston this year, 149 were for methamphetamine use and only three for heroin trafficking. [Source: Crime Statistics Authority, extraction from LEAP 18 April 2016]. “This shows that methadone prescriptions are working as an opioid diversionary tactic and preventing the widespread use of heroin. Following on from this, it is preventing the crime that is associated with heroin use.” Cr Dooley said the council would “hold Dunkley Liberal and Labor candidates to account for their words with appropriate action” once the election result was known. Stephen Taylor
FRANKSTON
A ‘roo made me do it’ A MAN says he “swerved to miss a kangaroo” on Nepean Hwy, Seaford, 4am, Saturday 25 June – and he had not been drinking. His Kia Sorrento’s brakes locked in the 70kph zone, causing the man to crash into a parked Toyota Rav 4 and roll his own. Both cars were written off in the accident, with the Kia’s curtain airbags being deployed and it finishing up on its side in the left hand, south-bound lane.
The 30-year-old Cranbourne man, who escaped injury and was found to be not alcohol or drug affected, walked away from the crash near Seaford Rd but is likely to face careless driving charges. Senior Constable Evan Mickle, of Frankston police, was told the kangaroo hopped across the road into bushland and disappeared. A wheelie bin was crushed.
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response of up to two vehicles within 90 seconds to every call, whether to Frankston or its surrounding suburbs that we support. “This is backed up by any available volunteers who can respond simultaneously via pager. “Without this in place we would not have the effective delivery of service required for such a dynamic municipality.” Captain Byrne said the growth of Frankston’s population, industry and surrounding suburbs had “brought about many challenges and changes for us to keep up the level of service both required and expected of by the community”. “Our only agenda is to protect life and property as quickly and as safe as possible.” Captain Byrne said: “We wish to remind our community that, despite current political views being expressed by all parties, they will not see any difference on the fire ground as we attend any incident, because there is none. “What you see is a team of highly disciplined, professional, dedicated, passionate fire fighters. We don’t care who you are or where you come from. The only thing we do care for is you.”
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FRANKSTON Fire Brigade chairman Tony Byrne has written to residents on behalf of fire crews to “alleviate any fears they may have over the current climate in the media with regards to delivery of an effective fire service”. At the core of his letter is the simmering CFA and United Fire Fighters’ industrial dispute which has resulted in a series of high-level CFA resignations and ill will between the state government and volunteer fire fighters. A volunteer himself at Frankston for 27 years, Captain Byrne said the CFA was “widely known as a volunteer organisation and has been in place for some 127 years in Frankston”. Crews operate from the station in Cranbourne Rd, Frankston. “We have what is known as an “integrated fire station and have been since 1958,” he said. “What this means is that we have both career (paid) and volunteer fire fighters working as one for the betterment of the community. “Having a minimum of at least five full time career fire fighters on duty day and night shift, 24 hours a day, seven days a week allows for a
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