NEWS DESK
Actor’s challenging, uphill road STEVE Bastoni’s often on call. He’s an actor and is ready to fit into a role at a director’s discretion. But his job also has a lot to do with timing and he knows “hurrying is just not worth it, especially if you’re driving”. Bastoni, right, has taken on the role of ambassador for next month’s Arthurs Seat Challenge, the 6.7 kilometre run/ walk that raises money to spread the Fit to Drive program’s road safety message in schools throughout the Mornington Peninsula and Frankston. “I’ve never been a participant before, but this year I’ll be giving it a red hot go, although it’s doubtful I’ll be breaking any records,” Bastoni said while filming on location in Geelong last Thursday. “Being asked to be ambassador for the challenge is a good opportunity to get involved in something that’s certainly been on my radar for some time.” The challenge has also been taken up by his basketball-mad children who are “keen to get involved”. “Anything that lends a voice to making our roads safer is worthwhile,” Bastoni says. “I remember being a P-plater and thinking I was bullet proof. Luckily, no one in my circle of friends lost their life, but I’m very aware of too many people driving too fast in residential areas. “There’s really no time to be saved by speeding. “The dangers of trying to get somewhere in hurry are just not worth it.” For details about the Fit to Drive program go to www.f2d.com.au; to register for the Sunday 11 November Arthurs Seat Challenge www.arthursseatchallenge. com.au Keith Platt
Crime figures down CRIME Statistics Agency figures released last week show a 6.5 per cent drop in crime on the Mornington Peninsula in the 12 months to June. Local Area Commander Inspector Janene Denton said while there was “still a lot of work to be done, it is positive to see the number of recorded offences on the peninsula area has started to decrease”. “Thanks to the hard work of local police we’ve seen significant decreases in aggravated burglaries (25.3 per cent) and residential burglaries (18.8 per cent),” she said. “We know this type of offending has been a real concern for the community and reducing these types of crimes has been a focus for police. “We’ll continue to work hard to prevent, deter, investigate and arrest offenders in order to keep people and their homes safe.” The crime figures released last week indicate that offences across all major crime groups have dropped in the past 12 months. Crimes against the person were 1487 (1637 last year); property and deception 5901 (6311); drugs 692 (709), and public order 987 (1269). The only increase was in justice procedures which were up to 1808 from 1691. Total crimes reported on the peninsula were 10,896 down from 11,684 last year. In Frankston, reported crimes were 14,790, down from last year’s 15,825. Crimes against the person were 2278 (last year 2256); property and deception 7446 (8182); drug offences 1059 (1167); and public order 1119 (1304); justice procedures 2861 (2892).
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25 September 2018
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