E VOIC YOUR
0Y FOR 15 EARS
16 March 2015
A Star News Group Publication
Slow down for Shaye
Panther merger cancelled
Property liftout
PAGE 5
SPORT
INSIDE
Monday, 16 March 2015
■ Youths take over civic precinct...
Security call over mob fight By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
1170560-ACM06-15
RISING mob violence around Dandenong's Civic Square has seen one youth stabbed and others bashed and king-hit. Last Tuesday afternoon, police took more than an hour to disperse a 60-strong aggressive gathering of students from three high schools in the Civic Square area. The incident followed a similar violent gathering on Friday 6 March during which a 15-year-old Endeavour Hills boy was stabbed multiple times. Last week, the council announced a two-week trial of extra unarmed security guards at its civic centre, while police have stepped up patrols. However, Councillor Peter Brown, who witnessed some of the trouble, said more needed to be done to quell the situation. He said security personnel should show zero tolerance for the anti-social behaviour before someone “ends up in the morgue”. Cr Brown said the council should allocate some of its “huge budget” towards supporting the police.
He said guards may need to be armed, especially if young people were carrying weapons into the civic precinct. “We have created a (library and civic square) which is very beautiful. “The last thing parents with young kids want to go through is these warring groups. “We just have to get the message across to these young people - we’re not going to let you wreck something we’ve worked hard to create for you and the rest of the community.” Cr Brown said “brazen” youths had been making territorial claims in front of the Civic Centre’s library, citing several incidents in recent weeks. “If we have to have armed security guards, we should use them. If threats are made to security personnel we should take no hostages - it should be zero tolerance. “My instinct is it could be a turf war. We don’t want them to turn Dandenong into a little favela.” Greater Dandenong chief executive John Bennie, who has recently expressed a preferred “zero-tolerance” approach to
anti-social behaviour, said the incidents in the civic precinct “fall into the category of nuisance behaviour rather than more serious crime”. He said a security review of the precinct undertaken in December had found a “range of proposals to improve security”. The trial of extra security guards would be re-assessed with police in two weeks, he said. Police local area commander Inspector Bruce Kitchen said patrols of the area had been since increased in known Dandenong hot spots such as near Dandenong railway station, the former library and the civic centre. He said police would exclude and move people on. Those tactics were successfully used to drive out troublemakers at Mills Reserve recently, he said. “The message I want to get out is police won’t tolerate antisocial behaviour.” Youth workers urge tolerance and understanding, page 3.
Evening fun warms the heart A FUN run and Frozen are joining forces in a free family night in Dandenong North. Tirhatuan Park will host the Twilight Fun Run and Cinema Under the Stars this Saturday 21 March. Activities and a barbecue, including a free jumping castle and animal farm, will start at 6pm and Elsa and Anna will host a disco sing-along from 7.30pm to 8.30pm. The feature film screening will start at 8.30pm. Visit www.greaterdandenong.com or call 8571 1000.
VALLEY Phone: 9793 3354 VILLAGE Fax: 9793 7154 MEWS villagemews@iinet.net.au RETIREMENT www.valleyvillagemews.com.au VILLAGE 112 STUD ROAD DANDENONG Call in to meet our friendly staff to show you why you should make Valley Village Mews your home.