When Amelia moved to Caroline Springs last year, she hoped it would be the perfect suburb to raise a family.
But the rising crime rate, coupled with low police numbers, has Amelia (not her real name) fearing for her family’s safety.
She’s ramped up security in her home, and is afraid to go on leisurely walks with her husband and daughter in the evenings.
“You don’t want to live in fear, but you need to be aware of what’s happening”
“We looked at various places across the west and, to us, Caroline Springs felt the safest and most family-oriented,” Amelia says.
“But I now know, if something were to happen, it could be at least 20 minutes for police to respond if [Caroline Springs] officers are tied up. And that worries me even more.”
The Caroline Springs resident says she no longer feels safe.
She has added her support to a campaign by Caroline Springs and Melton officers calling for extra police, as reported by Star Weekly.
“It’s not fair on those officers because they’re doing as much as they can, but they’re so under-resourced,” Amelia says.
“It’s not fair on them and it’s not fair on the community.”
She’s hearing about more stories of people being victims of crime, and says social media posts about crime in the area are making her “scared”.
Amelia says her dad, who also lives in Caroline Springs, sleeps with a hammer beside his bed at night.
“You don’t want to live in fear, but you need to be aware of what’s happening,” she says.
“I’m definitely worried it’ll get worse. It’s really scary.
“The solution is definitely more police and tougher penalties.”
Reasonable expectations
Police Association assistant secretary Inspector Bruce McKenzie said it was “disappointing, but not surprising” that Caroline Springs residents were feeling unsafe.
“The residents’ expectations of police are very reasonable,” Inspector McKenzie said.
“It’s reasonable to expect that, when you live in Melton or Caroline Springs, police will come when you call them and that, when they do, they have the capacity to get there in time to help.
“It’s also reasonable to expect that, as a resident, you will see police proactively patrolling the streets and public places to keep the community safe and deter crime.
“Our members have told us plain and simple in recent months that they do not currently have the numbers to ensure that this occurs all of the time,” Inspector McKenzie said.
