Good neighbours helping to keep crime at bay

President of the Cannons Creek Neighbourhood Watch Group Bill D’Oliviera is pleased the community is taking a proactive approach to reducing crime in

By Alison Noonan
NEIGHBOURLY love is helping to keep crime at bay in Casey’s coastal villages.
President of the Cannons Creek Neighbourhood Watch group Bill D’Oliviera said he was pleased with the latest crime statistics for the area, which revealed just three offences in June.
He said they included a report of property damage to a house in Cannons Creek, and thefts from a house and a motor car in Blind Bight.
“We are down to two to three crimes per month which is pretty good considering that when we first started eight years ago we were receiving about 20 crime reports a month,” Mr D’Oliviera said.
“I think the message is finally getting through to the community that they need to call the police and report crime, no matter how small.
“People are now saying they’ve had enough.”
Mr D’Oliviera stressed the importance of calling 000 for all incidences of crime, claiming police could not help if they were not told.
“Report all crime, even if it’s as small as a damaged letter box or a stolen shovel. It is still theft and it is still a crime,” he said.
“If it’s not reported there is nothing that can be done about it.
“A lot of people ring me with reports but I encourage residents to ring 000 directly.” The praise follows last week’s Neighbourhood Watch Safety and Security Seminar, which organisers hailed a tremendous success.
The seminar was a first in Victoria, providing more than 140 guests with an overview of safety and crime prevention best practices.
Guest speakers included Neighbourhood Watch State President Bill Horman and State Manager, Senior Sergeant Mark Standish.
Casey mayor Neil Lucas reaffirmed the city’s commitment to Neighbourhood Watch, describing it as a very valuable community resource.
“Community safety and security is integral to our vision for the City of Casey,” Mr Lucas said.
“Our initiatives show the strength of our ongoing commitment and highlight Casey’s position as a leading supporter of Neighbourhood Watch in Victoria.
“Council is proud to support Neighbourhood Watch and is aware of the benefits of adopting a ‘whole of community’ approach to community safety in our municipality,” he said.