Caroline Springs residents are demanding action from Victoria Police and the state government to end violence and vandalism in their suburb, with hundreds of people on social media lending their voices to the cause.
Social media users have flooded the Caroline Springs Residents Facebook page with comments, calling on Victoria Police, Premier Daniel Andrews and Melton council to find solutions.
“The constant feedback from the community to this page resounds of the frustrations of residents who don’t feel that the police have the resources or funding to prevent the minority, who are making the community of thousands feel unsafe and are being physically harmed,” a post by the Facebook page’s administrator says.
The post follows Star Weekly’s Cops in Crisis special investigation into police resourcing issues in Melton and Caroline Springs and a “steep increase” in messages to the Facebook page about vandalism and violence.
Residents have vented their frustrations on Facebook, demanding to know “how severe” the crimes need to be before police resourcing in Caroline Springs was “prioritised”.
“How many more attacks, and how severe do they need to get, before it becomes one of the priorities on your list,” Leila commented.
“We no longer feel safe in our homes and even more so outside it. We all demand action as taxpayers, ratepayers [and] law-abiding citizens of the community.”
Others, such as Sally, questioned the safety of the area compared with 10 years ago.
“Fast forward 10 years and it’s like we live in a housing commission area – bus shelters constantly smashed, kids and grown men riding on the road and footpaths on dirt bikes wearing no helmets, almost hitting residents as they walk out onto the footpath,” she said.
“I never see any police cars patrolling now like they used to … something needs to be done.”
Victoria Police spokeswoman Sara-Jane Delaney said Caroline Springs police had reached out to the creator of the Caroline Springs Residents Facebook page to talk about safety concerns in the area.
