By ANEEKA SIMONIS
POLICE will soon be planted in high-crime neighbourhoods including Bourke Park in Pakenham in a bid to gather intelligence on dangerous thugs and criminal trends traumatising residents.
Officers in a special van will embed themselves into these neighbourhoods over the next three months, keeping eyes and ears on street crimes and encouraging residents to speak out on issues that might help them target, arrest and charge recidivist offenders in the area.
The trial, being run exclusively in Cardinia Shire, coincides with police calls for residents in Cardinia, Casey and Dandenong to enlist their private CCTV surveillance systems on their intelligence database to help better respond and investigate the scaling rate of carjackings and aggravated burglaries.
Recent crime stats show 670 burglary and break-and-enter offences occurred in Cardinia Shire in the past year, spiking 35 per cent, while theft offences soared 39 per cent to 2306 recorded offences.
Children aged between 10 and 14 were among the culprits committing property and deception offences, with more than a 30 per cent jump in property damage and burglary offences across this age bracket.
And shockingly, Pakenham’s overall crime rate rose 40 per cent.
Two officers will man the mobile police van at all rostered times, open to passersby wishing to speak with them.
Bourke Park and Pakenham Marketplace were mentioned as two likely locations for patrol groups.
Cardinia Inspector Shane Smith said the mobile move would also focus on towns without a permanent police presence, including Cockatoo and Garfield.
“It reacts to crime problems such as public order matters and hopes to improve interactions between police and the community and gather crime prevention information,” he said.
The trial is expected to launch in the next week and police confirm a number of residents have already registered their CCTV surveillance systems.
Dates and locations will be posted on the police region Facebook page, Eyewatch – Casey/Cardinia Police Service Area.
Anyone with information about a crime is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
