Safer train stations

CASEY commuters are set for a safer train system after new Protective Services Officers (PSO) legislation passed through the Upper House of State Parliament recently.
South Eastern Metropolitan Region MP Inga Peulich said the new laws delivered on the State Government’s election promise to deploy PSOs at all Casey train stations from 6pm until the last train.
“PSOs will have the additional powers needed to reduce crime, violence and anti-social behaviour at and around train stations,” she said.
“The Baillieu Government promised to make Casey safer and the passage of this legislation will improve safety on the public transport network.”
The new legislation includes giving PSOs the power to arrest people found to be drunk and disorderly, ‘move on’ powers for those who are loitering, detain a person who is believed to have committed a serious offence or where there is reasonable grounds that such a person is likely to endanger the safety of others and conduct searches where there are reasonable grounds for suspecting a person has a weapon.
Ms Peulich said the deployment of PSOs would be determined by Police Command in consultation with the Department of Justice, the Department of Transport and the government.
“Victoria Police will take into consideration its operational requirements and, in consultation with relevant authorities, deploy 940 PSOs to every metropolitan railway station and in major regional centres by November 2014 in line with the Coalition Government’s election commitment,” she said.
Ms Peulich said the State Government was also resourcing Victoria Police to recruit and train an additional 1700 new police to reduce violence, crime and anti-social behaviour around the state.