Centre crime

By Sarah Schwager
THE owner of a Sri Lankan and Asian food take-away shop in Hampton Park has warned that crime is getting out of control in the area after he scared off a robber by throwing objects at him on Monday night.
Jeremy Scheffer went into defence mode when he saw a man dressed in motorbike leathers and a helmet and armed with a knife enter The Curry Grove on Monday night.
Mr Scheffer was serving a customer at about 7.30pm when the man walked into the store, located at the Hampton Park Shopping Centre on Somerville Road, pointing the knife out in front of him.
They were separated only by a bain-marie.
“I knew straight away he was going to hold me up.
“He said ‘give me all your $50 and $20 notes’. I had a plastic menu board which I just flung at him,” Mr Scheffer said.
“Again he said ‘give me your $50 and $20 notes’. I had a six-inch ornament of a chef statue, which I flung at him but it just hit him on the helmet and smashed.
“It must have deterred him a bit because he started walking backwards and said ‘I’ll be back’ and then ran off.”
Mr Scheffer said it was all over within 15 to 20 seconds.
He rang the police and said they were there in five minutes, staying for nearly four hours to investigate.
Mr Scheffer said the attempted robbery highlighted the need for extra security and video cameras around Hampton Park Shopping Centre.
“Hampton Park is getting worse and worse,” he said.
“We don’t have protection for trading let alone for the customers.
“I fear for the customers. I am always hearing reports from customers of men following women around and things like that.”
He said video cameras outside his store did not work.
While Mr Scheffer praised the work of police and security officers, he was concerned they did not have the resources to do their job properly because of a lack of funding by the shopping centre’s owners.
On 25 January, the News reported problems at the centre escalated when Santa Clause was attacked by youths on Christmas Eve last year and had a rock thrown at his head.
A pregnant woman who worked at Civic Video was also attacked by a group of youths while another woman was smacked in the eye by a 15-year-old girl.
Susan Scott, property manager with Norwood Property Services, which manages the shopping centre, said since security by Select Security, which took over last September, had been more than doubled, centre management had received positive feedback from shop tenants.
Ms Scott said there had been a lot less incidents at the centre, with a number of trouble-making youths apprehended since the start of the year.
“After the incidents over Christmas, centre management had a meeting with the owners and we decided we really had to take control. I feel we’ve really had positive results since then,” she said.
However, Mr Scheffer said the issue of security and safety in Hampton Park needed immediate attention.
“This is not good for the community. Hampton Park is a growing community with lots of new homeowners moving in.
“There is a definite lack of resources and services in the area and so we are seeing a high rate of crime.
“People will start to move out and Hampton Park will become a dying town.”
Police are urging witnesses of the attempted robbery to come forward.
The offender, thought to be aged in his 30s, fled empty-handed on a motorbike that was parked outside.
Mr Scheffer described the man as a big man, about 180 centimetres tall, and of stocky build.
Ms Scott said security staff would be carrying out extra patrols near The Curry Grove.
Anyone with information about the attempted robbery is urged to contact Frankston Embona on 9784 5543 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.