Station crackdown

PROTECTIVE Service Officers (PSOs) are now on the beat at Cranbourne railway station to crack down on anti-social behaviour.
It was announced on Monday that PSOs would now be deployed at Cranbourne where they will patrol the train station from 6pm until the last train, every night of the week.
While some stations have had PSOs deployed at them as they are anti-social behaviour hotspots, Cranbourne was chosen as part of the next stage of the roll-out as it’s a major station on the network.
There will be at least two PSOs at Cranbourne each night.
Casey police Inspector Wayne Viney welcomed the announcement and said it would provide a great presence at the station from late afternoon to late at night.
South Eastern Metropolitan Region MP Inga Peulich said the Casey community would welcome the PSOs to the local stations in an effort to tackle crime, violence and anti-social behaviour on and around the railway stations.
“The Victorian Coalition Government is delivering on its election commitment to deploy PSOs at every Casey railway station, and this is another step in undertaking that commitment,” she said.
“The deployment of PSOs to Cranbourne station follows on from the State Budget commitment to provide an additional $21.7 million to upgrade train station facilities.”
“We are extremely pleased with the feedback we are receiving from commuters and businesses at the stations where PSOs have already been deployed, which confirms that the PSOs are putting into practice what the government intended – addressing crime and perceptions of crime at rail stations.
Deputy Premier and Police and Emergency Services Minister Peter Ryan said PSOs were already making a big difference on the rail network, making arrests, detecting breaches of bail, identifying outstanding warrants, and issuing infringement notices for a range of offences.
“These officers also help protect others through their powers to detain offenders when their behaviour threatens other members of the public,” he said.
“Most importantly, PSOs make commuters feel safer and make Melbourne’s railway stations safer places to be at night.
“This is about delivering a stronger police presence on our streets and in our towns.”Casey Mayor Amanda Stapledon said.
She said the PSOs would strengthen the crime prevention measures that were already in place and would give Casey residents greater confidence when catching public transport.