By Violet Li
Another brawl in one of Casey’s aquatic centres has raised safety concerns in the community.
Police responded to reports of a physical altercation at Casey RACE in Cranbourne East on Sunday 2 February.
It was reported to police that a group of teenagers were seen fighting at a public swimming pool in Casey RACE at about 4.45pm.
It is alleged that the brawl led to an evacuation as the day temperature soared towards 40 degrees.
On police arrival, all parties involved had left the scene. There were no reported injuries.
A video circulated on social media has shown that about 10 people were involved in the brawl. Some involved were punching and pushing each other. A girl was observed to stop the fight.
The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident remains ongoing.
Concerns
The brawl stirred up a wide social media concern over youth crime and safety concerns in the community, as only two weeks ago, a group of eight youths assaulted a 19-year-old lifeguard at Casey ARC, another aquatic centre in the City of Casey. Both Casey RACE and Casey ARC are managed by Aligned Leisure.
The attack on 19 January occurred after the lifeguard asked the group to stop engaging in risky activities in the pool.
The lifeguard sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was hospitalised.
The offenders from Casey ARC, described as of Middle Eastern appearance, fled towards Overland Drive.
At the time, City of Casey mayor Stefan Koomen said the council, partnered with Aligned Leisure, was “taking immediate steps to increase security at all our aquatic centres to ensure a safe environment for everyone”.
Star News is not suggesting the same group of teenagers from the Casey ARC brawl was involved in the Casey RACE fight.
‘Very disturbing’
Cranbourne local and Cranbourne Chamber of Commerce president Ian Wood said the incidents were very disturbing.
Mr Wood has long been advocating for the formation of a community forum of all politicians, police, and social workers to work through the problem of juvenile crimes in the community.
He said it was time to get together to see if a solution could be found.
“The new councillors that are in this area need to look at this and see what we can do,” the former City of Casey 2024 council candidate said.
Anyone who witnessed the incident or with footage of the Casey RACE brawl is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
More to come…
