Community
22 November, 2024
Petition calls for increased police powers
A GROUP of concerned Warrnambool traders are encouraging residents and shoppers to sign a petition urging greater powers for police to curb anti-social behaviour in the city.
The petition, launched last week, has received the backing of Member for South West Coast Roma Britnell.
“The petition is now in many businesses around Warrnambool and I encourage people to get out, support the traders and sign it,” Ms Britnell said.
“The government needs to strengthen the bail and move-on laws, to give police effective tools to manage anti-social behaviour.
“Unfortunately, the number of incidents of public nuisance behaviours, thefts, violence, vandalism, public drunkenness and acts of intimidation on the streets of Warrnambool has exploded.”
Ms Britnell believes a small group of people are holding the town centre to ransom.
“While the traders understand the mental health issues that often underly these behaviours, they are at their wits end,” Ms Britnell said.
“One recent example of an offender involves a man who smashed a shop window of a cafe that had just been taken over by a new owner.
“He was taken into custody by the police and then bailed. Two days later he was walking up the street and saw a lady with an infant in a pram and he was heard saying ‘I am going to kick that baby, which he did. Then he smashed another window by throwing his skateboard through it.”
According to Ms Britnell, that same man was again taken into custody by the police and bailed.
“If a person is prepared to attack an infant, it begs the question, what are they capable of doing next? Yet he was bailed and released into the community again.
“Traders are very concerned about the safety of their staff, customers and themselves. The police are trying their best and have increased foot patrols but without the necessary tools and laws, the problem doesn’t get solved.”
Ms Britnell recently raised her concerns in parliament, stating that the “cause of the problem needs to be fixed in order to protect the community.”
