FOR years the Victorian community has voiced their concerns about the ever-regular spate of aggravated burglaries and carjackings.
They have stressed their worries about feeling unsafe in their own homes, businesses and streets.
While behind the scenes, Victoria Police has probably been doing everything in its power to curb the spike in crimes, like aggravated burglaries and carjackings, particularly by young people, now it seems VicPol is finally admitted there is a problem.
In an open letter to the state on Monday, Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Crime Steve Fontana, pictured, said concerns had been heard.
”We know many members of the community are feeling fearful and we understand why,” Assistant Commissioner Fontana stated in the open letter.
“Your home is a place where you should feel safe.”
Everyone has the right to feel safe in their own homes, their own business and their own streets. And while we need to take responsibility for our own personal safety, it is a sad indictment on today’s society that many of us feel so unsafe we now live in prison-like homes, surrounded by CCTV cameras and bars on our windows.
Victoria Police has hastened to assure the community they would “get on top of this problem”.
In the open letter to Victoria, Assistant Commissioner Fontana said: “… we are absolutely focused on addressing these crimes. We do not accept that any person should be confronted in their home.
“The safety of the community is always our number one priority and we want to assure you that we will get on top of this problem.”
In May this year, Victoria Police initiated an operation called Cosmas with a focus on aggravated burglaries and carjackings. Since then, police have arrested more than 75 offenders.
In local areas police are also doing proactive patrols. To a degree, this latest initiative will instill some sense of “safety” in Victorians.
”Make your house as difficult as possible to break in to. You’ll find if it is too hard a lot of offenders will just run off. You can do that by locking your doors and windows even when you are home. Consider installing deadlocks, security doors and sensor lights,” Assistant Commissioner Fontana stressed.
Most of all, stay safe….
