By CASEY NEILL
HOONS in Greater Dandenong, Casey and Cardinia – you will be caught and punished.
This was the message from Victoria Police and the State Government last week at the launch in Dandenong of a trial Hoon Investigation Team, covering the three Police Service Areas (PSAs).
The team will target overloaded vehicles, illegal drag races and speeding drivers and feature members from the criminal investigation, uniform and highway patrol branches.
Intelligence practitioners will support them with information about planned hooning.
Southern metropolitan region divisional commander Superintendent Derek Lamb said the area’s police had become increasingly concerned about the frequency of organised hoon driving events.
“These events are not only a risk to those participating in them, but also to other road users,” he said.
Police impounded more than 200 vehicles in Greater Dandenong in 2012, 126 in Casey and 60 in Cardinia.
Road Policing Command Assistant Commissioner Robert Hill said there’d be more to come.
“This particular area, Dandenong, is one of our hot spots,” he said.
“We want to send a clear message – the community has had enough. We want to stop this behaviour on our roads.
“We know this high-risk behaviour will result in road trauma – 80 per cent of the fatalities that occur on our roads are as a consequence of irresponsible, high risk behaviour. This has got to stop.”
Mr Hill said the Hoon Investigation Team would send plain-clothed police into hoon mass-gatherings, where uniform police had so far had “a disruption effect”.
“We might actually detect one or two or three vehicles, the other vehicles leave the scene,” he said.
“Well, be warned – those people, they might not get detected that night, but the next day we’ll come to their address and we’ll prosecute them before the courts after impounding their motor car.”
He said the pilot would run for three months and then be evaluated.
“From there, we will consider deploying it straight across Victoria to other hot spots,” he said.
Police and Emergency Services Minister Kim Wells said the message to hoons was very clear.
“If you are participating in hoon activity you will get caught, you will lose your licence, you’ll be hit with a big fine and you’ll have your car taken off you,” he said.
“And if you’re involved in a police pursuit, then you will end up in jail.”
Mr Wells said the hoon activity had moved from just road offences to criminal activities.
“We’ve had examples just recently of drugs being found in some of these cars,” he said.
“This will mean more police endeavour to track down and to catch these hoons.”
