MALL RAT SQUAD
VIOLENCE, THEFT, ABUSE: Fed-up traders call for special officers to deal with Little Malop louts
MARKET Square retail workers, sick of daily abuse, fights and thefts, are calling for specialist patrols to deal with the notorious “mall rats” in the trouble-plagued strip.
Worker James Vandenberg, who said two people threatened to assault him just this week, wants more police scouring the area.
“I can give many examples of incidents, only this week these two guys came in, put a pair of trackies on and tried to leave when I asked them to pay and they threatened to bash me,” Mr Vandenberg said.
“There was an all-in brawl out the front of the shop just the other day that spilt into the street and into the loading dock.
“We’re literally on our own when it comes to mall rats. We get abused daily.
“The security can’t do anything, even though it’s all repeat offenders who are ‘banned’ from the centre.
“It’s all just rinse and repeat once the police arrive and then say they are going to pick them up when they see them. We never usually hear from the police in regards to it again. The green spine has just given them a new spot to hang out that’s more dangerous to the general public.”
Other retail workers are calling for protective service officers to be stationed around the Moorabool St bus interchange to combat unsocial behaviour.
Another retail worker — who asked to only be identified as Greg — said problematic behaviour had been an issue for the 11 years he had worked in the centre.
“They walk through the area in packs, playing music out loud, and many find them very intimidating,” Greg said.
“A stronger police presence would initially make a difference, but PSOs patrolling the area would make a bigger difference, I think.”
But other workers noted that issues such as theft and unsociable behaviour were not exclusive to the Geelong CBD.
“Security here respond really quickly and they do their job well,” one worker told The Addy.
“We certainly want people to keep coming in into the centre and not be deterred by a minority of 15-year-olds.”
Market Square director and centre manager Sandy KellyBurton said she would support PSOs around the bus interchange, but not within the centre.
“It really is a bit of a chicken and the egg, and if the issues can be controlled before they reach Market square properties I’d like to see that,” Ms Kelly-Burton said.
She confirmed that Market Square had increased levels of security around the centre in the last few years.
Geelong Superintendent Craig Gillard encouraged traders to “take all possible steps to increase their security, including CCTV and things such as display design etc., to reduce the opportunity for criminals to ply their trade”.
“Geelong Police continue to focus attention on those com- mitting anti-social behaviours and offending in the Geelong CBD area,” Supt Gillard said.
The state Liberal Party announced plans in July for PSOs to patrol Moorabool St bus interchange to help combat unsocial behaviour if they were to win the November election.
If elected, they have also pledged to establish a shop front in Geelong’s Westfield Shopping Centre. Officers would patrol surrounding areas, including the Market Square shops, bus interchange and Little Malop St mall.
Police Minister Lisa Neville said since coming to power, her government had “allocated an additional 53 new officers to the Geelong region — working in communities, on our streets, in schools and in shopping centres”.
“We have announced we are working with the Police Association and Victoria Police on putting PSOs in shopping centres,” Ms Neville said.