A veteran of 25 years in the security industry and a retired senior detective are determined to help the St Albans community feel safe.
Angelo Yannacaros and Charlie Bezzina are partnering with the Brimbank council and Victoria Police to form a Neighbourhood Watch group for the suburb.
Mr Yannacaros, who has served as security for Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston and Bill Gates, said he hoped the move would allay safety concerns.
“We really want to offer something back to the community,” he said. “We’re looking to deliver safety and prevention programs.
“People are fearful, so hopefully we can get people together, work with the community, ask questions, provide answers and put some fears at ease.”
Mr Yannacaros said the direction of the group will be guided by the voice of the
St Albans community.
“In the next few weeks we’ll have a location and hopefully be able to get as many people as possible involved,” he said.
“The more people we get involved, the more improvements we can make.
“As soon as we settle on a location with the council, we’ll invite everyone out and we can really get the ball rolling.”
While the group is yet to officially launch, Mr Yannacaros said there’s already some ideas in the works.
“I was born and bred in this area and I’ve seen a lot of change in this area. Hopefully as a unit we can do wonders,” he said.
“We want to give confidence back to the people and if we all work as one with the council and Victoria Police, we can really support and complement each other.”
