St Albans resident Rob Palmer has been protecting the western suburbs for almost 25 years in his role as a police sergeant.
What’s your favourite place to grab a coffee or a bite to eat?
I’m not really a massive coffee person, but if I do get one it’s
usually at Gloria Jean’s in the Caroline Springs shopping centre.
What’s your neighbourhood retreat spot?
It’s not a neighbourhood retreat spot as such, because I’m a
person who just loves heading out to the country. I’m a keen fisherman
and try to head down to Geelong, Camperdown or Lake Eildon to cast a
line.
What would you like to see changed in your area?
When I was growing up, you knew that you could rely on your
neighbours. There was a great community spirit around the place. I feel
that we may have lost that a little bit and could possibly look out for
one another more.
What change has had the greatest impact on your neighbourhood?
From a policing perspective, the two biggest changes would
surround traffic and family violence. We have had to clamp down on hoons
and speeding in an attempt to reduce road accidents. A positive change
has been the willingness of people to report family violence. Victoria
Police has made a concerted effort to do more in this area and victims
are beginning to feel comfortable coming to us for help.
What do you never want to see change?
The main thing would be to retain the multiculturalism of the
area. The different cultures and nationalities is what really make the
western suburbs. It’s fantastic having so many diverse cultures in the
area and being able to learn about them.
