Articles: Safety Security issues

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Rail guards put squeeze on police

Rail guards put squeeze on police
Farrah Tomazin
April 17, 2011

FRESH doubts have emerged over state government plans for armed guards on train stations, with the police academy already so stretched that courses have been moved, bedrooms have been converted to offices, and some classes are ''bursting at the seams''.

The Coalition has come under fire in recent weeks for its election promise to train 940 protective services officers and deploy them at every city station and major regional centre after 6pm.

So far, the criticism has centred on fears the PSOs will be armed and have police-like powers of arrest despite training for only eight weeks, compared with 23 weeks for sworn police.

But while Premier Ted Baillieu last week insisted the policy was the best-value way to improve safety at train stations, critics fear Glen Waverley Police Academy may struggle to manage demand.

Over the next four years, the 940 PSOs will be trained with an extra 1700 new police and transit officers, an increase the Coalition has promised to deliver as part of its pledge to ''get tough on crime''. But it won't be an easy task: even without including the PSOs, to add 1700 police to the current workforce, the government will have to recruit about 3200 officers overall, to take into account annual attrition rates.

''It's pretty much at capacity now,'' said Police Association secretary Greg Davies. ''It's achievable, but the question becomes: are they spending their money on the best system available, or does this become their myki?''

Acting Assistant Commissioner Robert Hill said that to cope with demand, the academy had been significantly upgraded, including building 10 new classrooms and a library, renovating a gymnasium and improving the operational tactics complex.

He confirmed that while construction took place, some courses had to be moved off site, including the supervisory program (held at Airlie Leadership Development Centre); the field investigators' course (held at Knox Police Station); and probationary constable classes (held at Kingston Links Golf Course).

Some sleeping quarters have been converted into offices, and according to one former recruit, some classes had been ''bursting at the seams''. But Mr Hill said he was ''more than confident'' the academy could cope.

Police Minister Peter Ryan told The Sunday Age that simultaneously training such a large crop of new police as well as the 940 PSOs by the next election in 2014 would be one of the Coalition's toughest challenges.

But he added: ''That target will be met. Absolutely everybody, within the government and within the structures associated with delivering this, understands that this is an utterly non-negotiable intent.''

The government has set aside $8 million, in addition to $10 million already allocated, to upgrade facilities from July 1.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/rail-guards-put-squeeze-on-police-20110416-1ditl.html#ixzz1Ji1Uo3cb

[ozbob]

The Chief Commissioner has forced a government re-think on controversial new armed guards for train stations.

See more at www.tennews.com.au

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Station guards plan in trouble

Station guards plan in trouble
Reid Sexton
April 19, 2011

THE Baillieu government's plan to deploy 940 protective service officers across Melbourne's train network has hit more trouble, with fears of cost blowouts after police commissioner Simon Overland suggested the officers would require additional training.

Mr Overland says the existing eight-week training period for protective service officers would be insufficient for those deployed at train stations, who will be vested with extra powers.

Police Minister Peter Ryan later confirmed the training period would need to be lengthened, and indicated this would add to the $160 million-plus cost of the program. But he denied it would delay the officers' introduction.
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Mr Ryan's statement reverses the position stated last month by fellow minister Richard Dalla-Riva, who said it was ''nonsense'' to say protective service officers with eight weeks' training were incapable of guarding train stations.

The plan to introduce two protective service officers to every Melbourne and major regional station after 6pm was a key election promise aimed at bolstering the Coalition's anti-crime credentials.

The plan was already mired in controversy before this week, with questions ranging from the extent of the officers' arrest powers to the lack of bathroom facilities at some of the stations they will be guarding.

Mr Overland told 3AW yesterday that he believed training for the officers should be extended. ''With the move to put them onto railway stations, we think we need to look at that and probably extend that out because they will need a greater range of powers,'' he said.

Mr Ryan said later: ''There is the distinct prospect that we will extend the training period from the existing eight weeks.''

He said that as next month's budget was still being prepared, the government could accommodate any changes to training arising from discussions with police commanders.

Only last month, Mr Dalla-Riva - Mr Ryan's representative in the upper house - said he did not see a need for additional training. ''The PSOs who operate [at Parliament] could go into a railway station and operate there today, in my view,'' he said.

Victoria currently has about 140 protective service officers who guard Parliament, courts and other important buildings. Expanding their numbers to cover railway stations was costed at $161 million, plus $20 million for capital works.

Mr Ryan would not speculate yesterday on how much the extended training might cost.

Labor seized on the controversy, saying the the policy had been inadequately planned. ''This policy is an an absolute shambles,'' said Labor police spokesman James Merlino.

The government last night said the training extension would not impact on its ability to deliver the 940 officers or the promised 1700 new police during its first term, with additional funds in the budget set to boost the police academy's capacity.

Police Association secretary Greg Davies agreed, saying there were hundreds of rooms owned by the government that could be used as training classrooms.

He said it was too early to judge the project's success but was disappointed at suggestions that the officers might be incapable of carrying out their assigned tasks. With AAP

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/station-guards-plan-in-trouble-20110418-1dlq2.html#ixzz1JuJIZs4v

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Railway station staffing plan axed

Railway station staffing plan axed
Clay Lucas
May 11, 2011

TRANSPORT Minister Terry Mulder has confirmed a plan by the previous government to staff 22 extra railway stations full-time has been dumped, as the Baillieu government moves to put armed guards on the rail network after dark.

Mr Mulder also yesterday accused the Brumby government of having ''doctored'' the number of assaults occurring at railway stations in 2010, in a bid to retain power last year.

Appearing before a parliamentary committee yesterday to answer questions about last week's budget, Mr Mulder confirmed that a plan announced in 2010 by then transport minister Martin Pakula was no more.

It would have seen full-time staff return to 22 of Melbourne's 212 rail stations.

Seventy-eight of Melbourne's railway stations are now staffed full-time. Another 50 are staffed for between two and four hours a day. The remaining 84 never have any staff.

Among the stations that were to get staff back full-time were Hoppers Crossing, Balaclava, East Richmond, Fairfield and Prahran. ''The former government made their commitment that they would put additional funding into [staff at these] stations,'' Mr Mulder said. ''Our position was that we would put 940 protective service officers at those stations, and we did not commit to re-man those stations.''

He told Mr Pakula that he needed to accept that Labor had lost the election.

''You have to remember you actually lost, and you lost a lot of your votes on public transport, because you failed to protect the public, and when you failed to protect the public you then tried to cover it up with playing around with crime statistics.''

Opposition public transport spokeswoman Fiona Richardson said Mr Mulder had admitted at the hearing yesterday that the government had no plans to buy new trams, put on extra buses or purchase new V/Line trains as part of this year's budget.

''This Liberal minister has either overlooked or ignored the large increase in passenger numbers expected over the next 12 months and detailed in his own budget,'' Ms Richardson said. ''Instead of fighting on behalf of commuters to improve their services, he's standing idly by while services deteriorate.''

Asked during the committee hearing about recent claims by Metro chief executive Andrew Lezala of an alleged ''go-slow'' by train drivers, Mr Mulder said that he had no evidence that there was an industrial campaign under way. But he said Metro was investigating its employees, and he understood that, if a go-slow was occurring, it would only take a small number of drivers doing the wrong thing to badly disrupt the timetable.

''I trust that once the investigations [by Metro] are completed we will have a little more information,'' Mr Mulder said.

Mr Lezala this week conceded he was wrong a fortnight ago when he claimed that a sacked employee was one of a number of his company's drivers under investigation for the alleged ''go-slow'' in recent weeks. He said on Monday that the driver was, in fact, sacked as the result of crashing a train in Craigieburn last May.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/railway-station-staffing-plan-axed-20110510-1eh85.html

[ozbob]

From 9NEWS click here!

Vic protective service staff in city only

Vic protective service staff in city only
17:44 AEST Thu May 12 2011

By Melissa Jenkins

Armed guards will be deployed at major inner Melbourne stations but won't be sent to suburban crime hotspots until after July next year.

On Thursday, Police Chief Commissioner Simon Overland said 93 protective service officers (PSOs) would be deployed in the 2011/12 financial year, with the first officers to be sent to inner city stations including Flinders Street, Southern Cross, Richmond and North Melbourne.

To achieve this, 107 PSOs would need to be recruited to account for attrition.

Mr Overland said the PSOs would be sent to city stations first because that was where they were the most needed.

But according to a Public Transport Users Association analysis of 2009 crime statistics, some 45 per cent of assaults at train stations happen at just 10 stations: Flinders Street, Dandenong, Broadmeadows, Footscray, St Albans, Ringwood, Bayswater, Frankston, Southern Cross and Thomastown.

Association president Daniel Bowen said the PSOs should be sent to the known hotspots first.

"Passengers tell us that they feel more unsafe at those locations so it would make sense to put the first available officers into those stations where they are definitely needed," he told AAP.

Asked whether he thought deploying two PSOs to every Melbourne train station and major regional stations after dark was the best use of resources considering station crime statistics, Mr Overland replied: "It's a government policy position and my job is to deliver that policy outcome."

Victoria Police plans to deploy 231 PSOs in 2012/13, 468 in 2013/14 and 148 up to November 2014, before the next state election.

A total of 1081 PSOs would need to be recruited to meet the government's promised 940 and account for attrition.

Police Minister Peter Ryan said there were hundreds of armed transit police patrolling the entire public transport grid.

"We are going to have 350 armed police officers travelling across the system remorselessly looking after those dills who want to cause trouble," he said.

He said 93 guards would be deployed in the first year instead of the promised 235 because the program had to be built from scratch.

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

State agrees to up training for armed rail guards

State agrees to up training for armed rail guards
Farrah Tomazin
May 15, 2011

TRAINING for the state government's armed guards for train stations is to be overhauled, amid fears that the officers will not be properly equipped to tackle crime on the rail network.

A Victoria Police proposal, seen by The Sunday Age, recommends extending the training program for protective services officers from nine weeks to 12 to ensure they will be able to deal with the complex problems they are likely to confront.

The government's controversial protective services officers policy is already costing taxpayers at least $50 million more than expected, and the first of the armed guards - none of whom have been recruited yet - are not likely to be on train stations until next year.

Police Minister Peter Ryan is preparing to unveil laws that will finally detail the plan to use the officers to guard the rail network after 6pm. Under the policy, 940 officers will be placed at all metropolitan and major regional stations over the next 3½ years, armed with semi-automatic firearms and police-like powers of arrest.

But as concerns continue to mount over the guards' qualifications, compared with sworn police officers, a police academy curriculum proposal suggests their training program will be significantly revamped.

The new course proposals will give them 12 weeks of training - three more weeks than they currently get to guard places such as Parliament House, the courts, or the Department of Premier and Cabinet.

While this is still less than the training given to police officers - who do a 23-week course and 10 additional weeks of field work - the program will focus heavily on topics from human rights and conflict resolution, to firearms training, ''discretionary'' use of force, field interviews, and methods to handle large groups of youths.

News of the overhaul comes after months of concerns about the policy, which was a central plank of Ted Baillieu's election campaign to get tough on crime.

While the government insists that fulfilling the pledge will boost community safety, the Police Union, civil libertarians and the state opposition have branded the idea as ill-conceived.

A coalition of Victorian community groups have also weighed in, writing a joint letter to Community Services Minister Mary Wooldridge that urged the government to delay the policy to allow for further consultation.

''We do not support the deployment of PSOs on train stations and are particularly concerned that there has not been adequate consultation about the proposed role of the PSOs, the training they will receive at recruitment ... and what accountability measures will be used to monitor the use of their powers,'' said the letter, co-signed by groups including the Victorian Council of Social Services, the Youth Affairs Council and the Federation of Community Legal Centres.

The Sunday Age believes the first squad of recruits for the program will be inducted at the Glen Waverley Police Academy about November - meaning they are unlikely to be deployed on the train network until the start of next year.

The policy was initially costed at $161.5 million, but this month's budget allocated more than $212 million to ensure that all 940 officers were hired by the next election.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/state-agrees-to-up-training-for-armed-rail-guards-20110514-1enjl.html

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

To go or not to go, and how: a puzzle in need of relief

To go or not to go, and how: a puzzle in need of relief
Deborah Gough
May 15, 2011

METRO Trains will be forced to renovate or build toilets at 100 railway stations as part of a plan to install 940 protective service officers at stations. But passengers will not be able to use them.

The announcement of guard  staff at stations had raised hopes that more public toilets — closed when stations were stripped of staff in 1995 — might  be reopened to the passengers, but that now seems unlikely.

There are 212 stations across the system, but only 112 have working staff toilets.

The issue of where the new officers  will go to the toilet has preoccupied the state government. Industrial Relations Minister Richard Dall-Riva's  suggestion that police would drive guards  to police station toilets in divisional vans — an option still not  ruled out — was heavily criticised.

Victoria Police confirmed it had an agreement with the Department of Transport that guards  would use staff toilets. The deal would also allay Victoria Police fears that guards carrying a firearm into a public toilet block would be a safety risk.

Police on patrol in cars now have to give their firearm to  a colleague rather than carry it into a public toilet block.

Metro Trains spokesman Chris Whitefield would not rule out reopening public toilets at stations but said the costs would be  high.

''The government has not told us what it requires, but  the cost of introducing toilets for the public as well as for PSOs would be very high. Anything's possible; it depends on the government,'' Mr Whitefield said.

He said he expected maintenance and cleaning costs for public toilets would be higher  because  more people used them and they were easier  to vandalise.

Renovation of  the  closed toilets would be prohibitively expensive or impossible because many were heavily vandalised,  WC Innovations, a company that builds stand-alone and fully-automatic toilets, told The Sunday Age.

Nearly all railway stations once had staff toilets and most also had a public toilet. The former Public Transport Corporation closed many of the  toilet blocks in 1995 when staff were removed from stations. All of the locked 100 toilets are in  poor condition, with many vandalised.

WC Innovations  sales manager Paul Webb said Metro Trains had asked him to assess six closed station toilets in the past 12 months to estimate the cost of reopening them.

He  said  the main hurdles included making heritage buildings accessible to the disabled.

A  spokeswoman for Police Minister Peter Ryan said public access to toilets and the needs of guards  were being ''worked through''. She left open the option of police ferrying guards  to toilets in divisional vans.

Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen said passengers would prefer public toilets and railway staff to having armed guards.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/to-go-or-not-to-go-and-how--a-puzzle-in-need-of-relief-20110514-1enn9.html

Staff quite rightly need loo facilities, but heck so do the punters ...

[#Metro]

I don't like station toilets at all. Haven for vandals, often in a poor state.

[SurfRail]

I don't like station toilets at all. Haven for vandals, often in a poor state.

Which is why I was truly fascinated when Robert Schwandl thought our public toilets were better than what is on offer in Europe - I can only guess at what they have!

[Golliwog]

I don't like station toilets at all. Haven for vandals, often in a poor state.

Which is why I was truly fascinated when Robert Schwandl thought our public toilets were better than what is on offer in Europe - I can only guess at what they have!

In the main, you have to pay to use them. And they have a lot more people using them (simplistically due to higher density/patronage) so need cleaning more often.

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Drivers not required to check doors

Drivers not required to check doors
May 31, 2011

VICTORIAN train drivers were not required to check that doors had closed and were clear of passengers before moving away from platforms when a man who jumped from a moving train in 2009 died after his leg got caught.

The Victorian Coroners Court heard yesterday that Peter Johnston, 36, of Rowville, forced open the door of a Frankston-bound train at Melbourne Central station just before midnight on October 20, 2009.

Mr Johnston, who had consumed alcohol and prescription medication, got his foot caught and was dragged under the train for about a kilometre before the driver learnt at Parliament Station what had happened. Mr Johnston's girlfriend had jumped over Mr Johnston on to the platform.

Deputy State Coroner Ian West heard that drivers were not trained to look back along the train once the doors had closed before moving off at the time, nor were they required to do so.

An alert system, which was supposed to notify the driver if a door was forced open, also failed and did not have a back-up indicator. Passengers attempts to notify the driver also failed because they did not know how to use the intercom.

The incident happened while Connex was running Melbourne's train system. The inquest is expected to last three days.

ANDREA PETRIE

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/drivers-not-required-to-check-doors-20110530-1fd2h.html#ixzz1NrLCHRy2

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Station guards' powers of arrest

Station guards' powers of arrest
Reid Sexton and Josh Gordon
June 28, 2011

HUNDREDS of armed guards to be deployed at Victorian train stations under a controversial Baillieu government plan will be given extensive search and arrest powers currently held only by police.

Protective services officers at stations will be able to arrest drunks and those suspected of serious crimes, search people and cars and remove people for loitering.

In a massive expansion of powers that has angered civil libertarians, the Baillieu government has also revealed plans to amend 13 acts, including the Police Regulation Act and the Crimes Act.

''The purpose of [this] is to ensure [officers] deployed on the rail network have sufficient powers to protect the community and combat crime, violence and anti-social behaviour,'' Police Minister Peter Ryan said.

The legislation paves the way for the recruitment of 940 new officers in a crackdown on anti-social behaviour.

Under the plan, which will cost $212 million over four years, two officers will guard every Melbourne train station, as well as major regional stations, from 6pm until the last train.

The government promised the plan before last year's state election to tackle plummeting safety perceptions, with Transport Department data showing growing concerns about travel at night.

Officers deployed at Parliament will be able to arrest only people already banned from the premises, while those at court can perform searches but have no arrest powers. The new laws will mean officers deployed at train stations will have an unprecedented list of powers at their disposal.

They follow questions about the amount of training the officers will receive, after former police chief commissioner Simon Overland said it should extend beyond the current eight weeks because new officers would have more powers than other protective services officers.

Mr Ryan last night declined to reveal how many weeks' training the officers would receive, saying Victoria Police would give more details today.

He said people who were drunk and disorderly, those with outstanding warrants and those suspected of committing a serious offence would be targeted.

The new officers will be able to remove anyone suspected of loitering, anyone deemed to be a safety risk and anyone suspected of damaging property.

Searches will be conducted on anyone suspected of carrying a weapon, a ''volatile substance''

that can be inhaled or spray-cans and felt pens for graffiti.

Cars and packages can also be searched under the plan, though the exact area where the officers' power will apply is yet to be finalised.

Mr Ryan said the new arrest and removal powers would be given only to officers guarding railway stations and, unlike for police, would only be able to be used when on duty.

Liberty Victoria president Spencer Zifcak said giving armed guards the power to search would be unsettling for passengers. He said that while some might welcome the move, stations with significant problems after dark represented just a fraction of the network.

''I think it's reasonable ... for [officers] to search somebody if they have reasonable grounds to suspect that someone has a weapon, but these powers are cast too widely,'' he said.

''Those people at stations where there have been no problems, when they see people with guns, might legitimately say it seems to be an ... overreaction. Many members of the Victorian community will feel significantly intimidated.''

Professor Zifcak said it was deeply concerning that armed officers would be placed in confrontational situations when they would probably receive much less training than police.

Police Association secretary Greg Davies warned there was a danger the legislation would create a ''second tier'' police force, given the powers that will be given to the new guards.

Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen said several crucial jurisdictional issues needed to be clarified, including whether the officers would be allowed to board trains or attend to incidents that took place just outside train stations.

Mr Bowen said it was important the officers were trained to promote security. ''The last thing you would want is officers provoking ... troublemakers.''

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/station-guards-powers-of-arrest-20110627-1gnju.html

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

28th June 2011

Expensive lessons for some, but hey we are smart aren't we?

Greetings,

Watching the 'Melbourne train privatisation-franchise experiment ' as we do,  demonstrates some basic lessons for governments and operators.  Removing the staff from the railway stations in Melbourne can only be described as a disaster. It was in fact giving up 'ground to the enemy'.  The authorities are now forced to 'take back the lost ground', in an attempt to assert basic safety for citizens.  Attempts to remove staff from stations in south-east Queensland will too lead to a massive cost blow out.  Rather than remove staff, staffing should be increased.

It is not rocket science, but commonsense.

Best wishes
Robert

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

=============================

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Station guards' powers of arrest

Station guards' powers of arrest
Reid Sexton and Josh Gordon
June 28, 2011

HUNDREDS of armed guards to be deployed at Victorian train stations under a controversial Baillieu government plan will be given extensive search and arrest powers currently held only by police.

Protective services officers at stations will be able to arrest drunks and those suspected of serious crimes, search people and cars and remove people for loitering.

In a massive expansion of powers that has angered civil libertarians, the Baillieu government has also revealed plans to amend 13 acts, including the Police Regulation Act and the Crimes Act.

''The purpose of [this] is to ensure [officers] deployed on the rail network have sufficient powers to protect the community and combat crime, violence and anti-social behaviour,'' Police Minister Peter Ryan said.

The legislation paves the way for the recruitment of 940 new officers in a crackdown on anti-social behaviour.

Under the plan, which will cost $212 million over four years, two officers will guard every Melbourne train station, as well as major regional stations, from 6pm until the last train.

The government promised the plan before last year's state election to tackle plummeting safety perceptions, with Transport Department data showing growing concerns about travel at night.

Officers deployed at Parliament will be able to arrest only people already banned from the premises, while those at court can perform searches but have no arrest powers. The new laws will mean officers deployed at train stations will have an unprecedented list of powers at their disposal.

They follow questions about the amount of training the officers will receive, after former police chief commissioner Simon Overland said it should extend beyond the current eight weeks because new officers would have more powers than other protective services officers.

Mr Ryan last night declined to reveal how many weeks' training the officers would receive, saying Victoria Police would give more details today.

He said people who were drunk and disorderly, those with outstanding warrants and those suspected of committing a serious offence would be targeted.

The new officers will be able to remove anyone suspected of loitering, anyone deemed to be a safety risk and anyone suspected of damaging property.

Searches will be conducted on anyone suspected of carrying a weapon, a ''volatile substance''

that can be inhaled or spray-cans and felt pens for graffiti.

Cars and packages can also be searched under the plan, though the exact area where the officers' power will apply is yet to be finalised.

Mr Ryan said the new arrest and removal powers would be given only to officers guarding railway stations and, unlike for police, would only be able to be used when on duty.

Liberty Victoria president Spencer Zifcak said giving armed guards the power to search would be unsettling for passengers. He said that while some might welcome the move, stations with significant problems after dark represented just a fraction of the network.

''I think it's reasonable ... for [officers] to search somebody if they have reasonable grounds to suspect that someone has a weapon, but these powers are cast too widely,'' he said.

''Those people at stations where there have been no problems, when they see people with guns, might legitimately say it seems to be an ... overreaction. Many members of the Victorian community will feel significantly intimidated.''

Professor Zifcak said it was deeply concerning that armed officers would be placed in confrontational situations when they would probably receive much less training than police.

Police Association secretary Greg Davies warned there was a danger the legislation would create a ''second tier'' police force, given the powers that will be given to the new guards.

Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen said several crucial jurisdictional issues needed to be clarified, including whether the officers would be allowed to board trains or attend to incidents that took place just outside train stations.

Mr Bowen said it was important the officers were trained to promote security. ''The last thing you would want is officers provoking ... troublemakers.''

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/station-guards-powers-of-arrest-20110627-1gnju.html

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Station guards plan hits buffer

Station guards plan hits buffer
Reid Sexton
June 29, 2011

THE police union says Victoria Police could struggle to recruit enough armed guards to fulfil the Baillieu government's plan to put them at stations, because the starting salary is only about $50,000.

And a lawyers' body has raised concerns that those detained by the guards could challenge the legality of their arrest if it were outside a station.

The government yesterday revealed that the first of 940 protective services officers will not be at stations until February, 15 months after the state election.

This is despite repeated claims from the government that the first wave of officers, who will guard every Melbourne and major regional station after 6pm, would be deployed this year.

Police Minister Peter Ryan revealed yesterday that the officers would get 12 weeks' training, four more than now. The extra training reflects the increased arrest-and-search powers officers will have at stations.

Victoria Police said yesterday that some officers could be temporarily deployed to other stations if trouble flared, with legislation further outlining their powers set to be introduced to Parliament tomorrow.
It expected 93 officers to be on duty at city and inner-suburban locations by June 30 next year, despite The Sunday Age revealing last year that five of Melbourne's six most dangerous stations were outside the inner city. The remaining officers were expected to be in place by 2014.

The Police Association, which represented the officers, said yesterday this would be challenging, given the current protective services officer starting salary was $48,113, with about $4.50 extra for each hour worked past 6pm.

Secretary Greg Davies said the salary rose to $51,378 after three years, a figure that was indicative of how poorly paid Victorian police and officers were.

Police would not say what the new officers would be paid because of continuing pay talks with the Police Association, which was demanding an across-the-board 4.5 per cent rise for members.

Acting Chief Commissioner Ken Lay said he did not expect recruitment to be a problem, but Mr Davies said the pay rate was a poor incentive.

''It's not going to be easy to recruit 940 if they're offering $48,000,'' he said. ''They'll be working at a lonely train station from 6pm until the last train. Put yourself in their position.''

Mr Ryan said officers would have the power to board trains and leave stations to chase suspects.

He said the government would define where officers could exercise their powers later, but if a suspect fled a brawl at Flinders Street Station to Federation Square they could be arrested by an officer.

A spokesman for the Law Institute of Victoria said the legislation should have strict definitions of where the powers could be used. James Dowsley said that without this, suspects could challenge their arrest in court as unlawful and force cases to be thrown out.

''If the arrest is found to be unlawful by a judge or magistrate, then the rest of the case is likely to fall,'' he said.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/station-guards-plan-hits-buffer-20110628-1gp6y.html#ixzz1QbOShJcW

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Police chief supports station guards plan

Police chief supports station guards plan
Reid Sexton
July 15, 2011

VICTORIA'S top policeman has emphatically supported the controversial rollout of armed guards at Melbourne train stations, with Victoria Police set to hold information sessions for people wishing to join up.

Acting Chief Commissioner Ken Lay has defended the deployment of protective services officers as an effective use of resources despite criticism that most stations see virtually no serious crimes committed.

Mr Lay said that among the main aims of the rollout of the guards was to improve safety perceptions at night, which, he said, was just as important as reducing crime. The force will hold sessions in Melbourne and regional centres such as Ballarat and Wodonga next month as it embarks upon an unprecedented campaign to recruit 1700 new police and 940 protective services officers for stations by late 2014.

The new numbers were promised by the Baillieu government in the lead-up to the state election as part of its tough-on-crime agenda, which included the promise to put two officers on every Melbourne station and some regional stations after 6 o'clock each night.

The plan has been criticised by the Greens and others on several fronts, including that the officers will be unnecessary at most stations because there is rarely crime at many of them. But Mr Lay told The Age that while stations were mostly safe, police research showed only about a third of passengers felt safe using the network at night.

''I've got a young daughter and there's something quite comforting for me [knowing] when my daughter gets off the train ... she will see bright green vests and people in uniform there to protect the community,'' he said.

''Clearly their presence there will result in reduced levels of crime. The other important thing is people feel safer.

''This is an opportunity that we've never had before.

''Is it an effective use of resources? You bet it is.''

While Mr Lay's predecessor Simon Overland said the plan had his support, he questioned the length of training that the protective service officers were likely to receive, a move that put him at odds with the Baillieu minister Richard Dalla-Riva.

The first guards will enter a 12-week training course in November before being deployed about February.

About 93 are expected at stations by mid next year but only city and major inner-suburban stations will be guarded for the first few months.

Shadow police spokesman James Merlino said he was confident that the force would implement the government of the day's policies but problems remained with the planning, implementation and effects of the rollout.

Victoria Police is expected to publish details of the information sessions on its website within days.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/police-chief-supports-station-guards-plan-20110714-1hg0l.html

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Sun click here!

Reject cops set to be armed guards at Victorian railway stations

Reject cops set to be armed guards at Victorian railway stations

    Peter Mickelburough
    From: Herald Sun
    July 19, 2011 12:00AM

POLICE dropouts could be headed for the front line as armed guards at railway stations.

Academy failures are already being trained as protective services officers, raising fresh concerns at State Government plans to put armed guards on all suburban and major regional railway stations next year.

The Herald Sun can reveal a third of current protective services recruits have failed to qualify for the police force.

And dozens more dropouts are expected to apply as the Baillieu Government seeks to recruit hundreds of extra police and 940 protective service officers to guard the stations.

Three of the 13 latest PSO recruits dropped out of training at the Police Academy.

Victoria Police refused to reveal why they quit.

Victorian Council of Social Service CEO Cath Smith said the station guard plan should be shelved until "critical" concerns about inadequate training were addressed.

"It should not be a role for those who didn't make the grade as police," she said.

"PSOs will be armed with semi-automatic firearms, capsicum sprays and batons.

"They've been given expanded powers to detain and arrest people yet they will receive significantly less training than operational police. This is creating a recipe for disaster."

Ms Smith said it was vital railway guards were fully trained to interact with vulnerable people who regularly used public transport - young people, people with mental health issues, people with drug and alcohol issues, Aborigines, and culturally diverse groups.

Police Association secretary Greg Davies warned that PSOs at railway stations would create "the propensity for more confrontation".

"It's going to be incumbent on the police force to make sure they are adequately trained and fully equipped to deal with those situations."

The guards will have the power to detain people believed to have committed a serious offence.

They will have the power to arrest drunks and search people suspected of carrying weapons, graffiti tools or inhalants.

There are 138 existing PSOs, whose main duties are protecting the Shrine of Remembrance, Parliament House and the courts.

A Herald Sun request under Freedom of Information for details of PSO recruits who had previously tried to join Victoria Police and why they had failed was denied by the force.

It said the release of such material would unreasonably disclose the personal affairs of those involved.

The Herald Sun believes the recruits were advised to leave and try out as a PSO or face failing the police course.

Police recruits can be failed for several reasons, from physical fitness to psychological suitability.

The plan to put two armed PSOs at each station from 6pm until the last train is expected to cost more than $160 million.

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

Lib quit over plan for armed guards at stations

Lib quit over plan for armed guards at stations

    Mark Buttler, Stephen McMahon
    From: Herald Sun
    July 20, 2011 12:00AM

A LAW and order adviser to the Liberal Party quit over its plan to put armed guards on railway stations.

Former police officer Chris Andrews resigned as convenor of the party's police and emergency services committee after the policy was hatched in 2009.

The party went to last November's election with the plan to use protective service officers at stations as policy.

It has since attracted widespread criticism, coming under fire from welfare bodies and the Police Association.

The Herald Sun revealed yesterday that failed police recruits could be among those used as armed guards at railway stations.

Mr Andrews is believed to have resigned because he did not agree with the policy and because it was not put before his committee.

He served 10 years with Victoria Police, including two years teaching recruits at the Police Academy.

Mr Andrews yesterday declined to comment.

The State Government plans to put two protective services officers at stations from 6pm until the last train.

Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews said the policy had "substantial problems" and there were serious doubts about the Coalition's ability to deliver its flagship law and order initiative.

"It is a complete shambles -- over time, over budget and serious doubts about the way it will work," he said. The armed guards should have to meet the same standards as regular police officers.

The Government's plan is to have fewer than 100 officers on city centre stations within 12 months with outer suburban stations and trouble spots -- such as Frankston, Footscray, Dandenong and Sunshine -- left to wait.

All stations should have them by 2014.

"We need a proper administration of this policy," Mr Andrews said. "If you are going to carry the same gun (as police) and exercise the same powers you should meet the same standards."

A police spokeswoman said the current PSO squad was doing a nine-week course and not being trained as transit PSOs.

Transit PSOs would be given three weeks' extra training on conflict resolution and working in a highly unpredictable environment with vulnerable people.

"They won't have all the powers police have but will be trained to reduce crime, violence and antisocial behaviour in and around train stations," she said.

Liberal Party state director Damien Mantach said although it was disappointed at Mr Andrews quitting, the party was committed to the PSO policy, which he said would make the streets safer and public transport more accessible.

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

Inspector pushed men from train, court told

Inspector pushed men from train, court told

    Norrie Ross
    From: Herald Sun
    July 27, 2011 12:00AM

A METRO Trains ticket inspector pushed two passengers from the open doors of a moving train in an act of thuggery, a court was told yesterday.

Prosecutor Damien Hannan said frightening CCTV footage showed Robert Neil Watson push a man from the train, causing him to cannon into his mate who was jumping through the open door.

The victims are seen rolling along the Ringwood platform less than a metre from the train as it picks up speed.

"Both feared they would be seriously injured or killed," Mr Hannan said.

"This was no more than an act of thuggery."

Watson, 31, of Werribee, sat with his head in his hands as Magistrate Jack Vandersteen recorded a conviction and put him on a 12-month good behaviour bond on condition he take an anger management course.

Watson and three other ticket inspectors, who were not involved, were in the almost empty train when the incident occurred.

Mr Vandersteen said Watson told his employer he stumbled as he moved towards the doorway and his shoulder came into contact with the passenger accidentally. But the CCTV footage showed that was not true.

A conviction was warranted, the magistrate said, because a high level of public trust was placed in authorised officers on public transport.

Mr Hannan said it was Watson's job not just to protect the revenue from fare evaders but to protect passengers on public transport.

He said the breach of trust was yet another case of inspectors exceeding their authority.

Defence lawyer Grace Morgan said Watson was extremely remorseful and had paid a substantial price.

He lost his job with Metro, his dream of joining the police force and public humiliation from the footage being aired in the media.

Ms Morgan said that on the face of it the footage showed an unprovoked attack carried out without a thought for the safety of the two victims. But Watson was doing a very difficult job and the incident occurred as he saw someone in a dangerous position, holding open the door for another person.

"It was not a situation where he had contempt for the people he was dealing with. He just showed terrible judgment on the day," Ms Morgan said.

She said a few months before the incident Watson's marriage had broken down and he was given leave by his employer because he was stressed, depressed and had a "shortening of his fuse".

Watson pleaded guilty in Melbourne Magistrates' Court to two counts of assault at Ringwood station on March 9 last year.

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

Police set for huge public transport blitz in Victoria

Police set for huge public transport blitz in Victoria

    Mark Buttler
    From: Herald Sun
    August 10, 2011 12:00AM

HUNDREDS of police tomorrow will begin the biggest-ever blitz of Victoria's public transport system.

Officers will saturate the train, tram and bus network as they crack down on weapons offences, alcohol-related breaches and drug crime.

Members of the dog squad, the operational response unit and specialist public transport police have been assigned to the Safe Travel campaign.

It will run for three weeks and concentrate on nine key elements. Operation Gauntlet will run on Friday and Saturday nights when plain-clothed officers will ride the rails, identifying trouble-makers.

They will radio ahead to uniform members further along the line who will remove the offenders from the train and arrest them if necessary.

Operation Liquor will stop the sale of alcohol to minors in areas around railway stations. Weapons searches will be made under Operation Omni and sniffer dogs will look for drugs at major suburban public transport hubs.

Officers will also be looking to weed out young passengers who have been drinking heavily en route to a night out in the city.

Other operations will concentrate on crime at end-of-line stations, patrols of V/Line services and preventing numberplate theft from public transport carparks.

Assistant Commissioner Andrew Crisp said police wanted to restore respect for people travelling on public transport.

"People have a right to be safe and feel safe," Mr Crisp said.

He said much of what was to be done related to the perceptions of regular users of public transport. "It's not just about people committing crime, but people feeling threatened," he said.

Mr Crisp said Safe Travel would be the first of several operations that would run through the footy finals, Spring Racing Carnival and summer.

Operation Safe Travel will operate from tomorrow to September 2.

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

Train travellers warned cops on board tonight

Train travellers warned cops on board tonight

    Michelle Ainsworth
    From: Herald Sun
    August 26, 2011 9:57PM

Sen-Sgt Tony Henry from the Transit Safety Division said one person had been caught with cannabis and a number of others had been picked up for transport act offences.

''It's behavioural offences on the train, swearing, feet on the seats, general behaviour to the annoyance of other commuters,'' Sgt Henry said.

He said it was still early in the evening and police expected it to get busier as more people travelled into the city later in the night.

''With a football match not being on, we'll find that over the next two or three hours we'll probably get more people coming in on the train, we're anticipating, having a drink on the train.''

Sen-Sgt Henry said police would be targeting train lines in the eastern and southern areas again tomorrow night.

Police announced they will crack down on train passengers drinking on the Lilydale and Belgrave train lines tonight and those flouting the laws could face fines of up to $600.

The exercise, part of Operation Preload, involves 70 uniformed and plain clothed police patrolling trains and platforms from the city loop to the end of the line.

Sen-Sgt Tony Henry said police would target anti-social behaviour and alcohol offences.

''Some people might think that it's okay to consume alcohol, get drunk and play-up while travelling on public transport,'' Sgt Henry said.

''We're out here to say no it's not, and anyone caught drinking or with an open container of alcohol faces a very hefty fine.

''People might not realise it, but this behaviour impacts heavily on other commuters.''

Police will also be inspecting liquor licenses and targeting the illegal sale of alcohol to underage drinkers near public transport over the weekend.

The fines for those found flouting the laws while on public transport:

Drinking liquor $299

Possess open container of liquor: $180

Smoking on train / tram etc or platform / tram$180

Littering on public transport vehicle $180

Graffiti $239

Mounting any part of vehicle not meant for travel$293

Use indecent, obscene, offensive language $239

Indecent, obscene, offensive behaviour $239

Drunk in a public place $489

Drunk and disorderly public place $611

Disorderly conduct in a public place $489

Possess controlled weapon without lawful excuse $1000

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

Recruitment drive begins for PSOs to work on Melbourne's trains

Recruitment drive begins for PSOs to work on Melbourne's trains

    Jessica Craven
    From: Herald Sun
    August 31, 2011 9:08AM

VICTORIA Police will soon begin a recruitment drive in a bid to hire more than 900 armed guards to work on trains after legislation passed through the upper house of state parliament overnight.

The new legislation gives Protective Services Officers the power to arrest people found to be drunk and disorderly, detain a person who is believe to have committed a serious offence and conduct searches where there are reasonable grounds for suspecting a person has a weapon.

Deputy Premier and Police Minister Peter Ryan said the new laws delivered on the State Government's election promise to deploy 940 PSOs at every metropolitan train station and at major regional centres from 6pm until the last train.

"Under the Justice Legislation Amendment (Protective Services Officers) Bill 2011, PSOs will have the additional powers needed to reduce crime, violence and anti-social behaviour at and around train stations," Mr Ryan said.

"The Coalition Government promised to make Victoria safer and the passage of this legislation will improve safety on the public transport network,"

Mr Ryan said the current PSO training program would be extended from nine weeks to 12 weeks to incorporate the new PSO powers.

"PSOs will not have all the powers that police officers have but they will be able to apprehend, detain, remove or impede offenders or threatening individuals," Mr Ryan said.

"As part of their 12 week training program, all PSO recruits will undergo the same two weeks Operational Tactics and Safety Training as police and PSOs will be required to 're-qualify' every six months."

Mr Ryan said the deployment of PSOs would be determined by the Police Command in consultation with the Department of Justice, the Department of Transport and the Government.

"Victoria Police will take into consideration its operational requirements and, in consultation with relevant authorities, deploy 940 PSOs to every metropolitan railway station and in major regional centres by November 2014 in line with the Coalition Government's election commitment," Mr Ryan said.

[ozbob]

Article from the Herald Sun click here!

Comfort is key to rail guards

Comfort is key to rail guards

    Peter Rolfe
    From: Sunday Herald Sun
    September 04, 2011 12:00AM

THE first Victorian train stations to be manned by Protective Services Officers will be chosen according to their toilet facilities rather than the rate of crime they attract.

The Baillieu Government has promised to recruit, train and employ 940 PSOs to protect commuters on trains and platforms.

But the State Opposition has accused the Government of choosing stations where PSOs can go to the toilet instead of where they are needed most.

Asked in the Upper House last week if "operational need or the provision of appropriate facilities" would be the principal determinant of where the first PSOs went, Industrial Relations Minister Richard Dalla-Riva said "PSOs will initially go to where there are amenities available at the stations".

Opposition police spokesman James Merlino said they should instead be sent to where crime was highest including Dandenong, Footscray and Broadmeadows.

"They've made it clear that the stations that have a toilet will be the ones that get a PSO first," he said.

"That is just ludicrous."

But a spokeswoman for Police Minister Peter Ryan said it was up to Victoria Police to decide where the PSOs went and it was coincidental that many of the stations they were first assigned to had toilets.

Mr Dalla-Riva also revealed for the first time that PSO's may work by themselves, despite the Government previously pledging to put two armed officers on every station from 6pm until the last train leaves.

"There is no requirement for PSOs to work two up, as there is no requirement for police officers to work two up," he said.

"My understanding is that the two-up model is the preferred model, but there will be occasions when PSOs will need to take a comfort break.

"They do not require a second PSO to take a break, so it may be that a PSO will work solo at certain points."

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

You'll never walk alone

You'll never walk alone
Reid Sexton
September 27, 2011

With around two crimes a day on Victoria's rail network, is the Baillieu government's costly plan to put armed officers on every Victorian train station at night really necessary?

HUSEYIN Sahin could well be the perfect protective services officer recruit. Friendly and polite, he speaks a second language and received extensive weapon training during his time in the Turkish army. The 49-year-old upholsterer plans to apply to become a PSO, and as part of what is one of the most controversial initiatives in Victoria Police's 158-year history, start guarding Melbourne's rail platforms.

''I'm looking to do something different and something that will make a difference in my life, but I didn't want the responsibility of the police force,'' he says.

''I know how to handle a gun and I'm sure it's going to have its difficult moments like any other job, but I don't consider it a very dangerous job.''

If successful, Sahin will ultimately be one of 940 people recruited and armed with semi-automatic weapons as part of a plan to protect all Melbourne and some regional stations every night of the week.

With 45 per cent of assaults occurring at just 10 train stations and half of all 220 metropolitan stations having no assaults in 2009 - the latest year for which detailed information is available - the job is looking like one where a capacity to do little, or nothing at all, may be required.

The now $232 million plan was first promised by the Baillieu opposition before the last election and played a significant role in it winning office. Under the plan, PSOs will be overseen by police. They will have the power to arrest and detain offenders in the vicinity of a train station until police arrive, and pursue offenders out of a station or onto a train. PSOs can also be deployed as a large-scale rapid response team if ordered by police.

The first PSOs will start their 12-week training course in November at the Police Academy in Glen Waverley and be on duty by February, with 93 expected to be working across inner-city stations by July 1 next year.

By the state election in November 2014, Victoria Police must have 940 of the officers deployed in pairs at every nominated station to meet the Baillieu government's target.

But the prospect of two armed guards on every Melbourne rail station after 6pm has, for some, revived bad memories of the 1980s and early '90s, when Victoria Police shot dead more than twice as many people as forces in all other Australian jurisdictions combined.

While the government says the scheme will improve the safety of previously unguarded stations at night, critics say it is nothing less than the militarisation of the entire train network.

Organisations such as Liberty Victoria and the Law Institute of Victoria have criticised the plan, saying the policy is highly flawed and arming officers after training them for just three months is a recipe for disaster.

Liberty Victoria president Professor Spencer Zifcak says that while action needs to be taken to improve safety for people catching trains at night, the best way to do that is not by deploying 940 armed officers with just 12 weeks' training. The government, he says, should use police across the network because their 33 weeks' training makes them better equipped to deal with offenders, particularly those who may be unstable.

While some confrontations involving police have ended in tragedy, such as the fatal shooting of 15-year-old Tyler Cassidy in 2008, fatalities would be even more likely with PSOs, he says.

''Tyler Cassidy got 10 bullets within the space of 73 seconds of encountering police. They were fully trained police and presumably had some training in dealing with people who were mentally disturbed, and Tyler Cassidy still got shot in just over a minute,'' Zifcak says. ''What are these PSOs going to do in those circumstances? In 12 weeks they're not going to be trained adequately to deal with people who are mentally disturbed; it's a nonsense.''

Potential problems caused by what he views as inadequate training for PSOs would be compounded by a lack of supervision, he says.

Police say PSOs will be deployed initially at inner-city stations because that is where police will be available to offer support as the guards learn their jobs, and that all officers will be closely supervised by transit police.

But beyond the program's early phases, it is unclear what supervision PSOs will receive when at least 850 new officers are recruited and deployed at suburban and regional stations between next July and November 2014.

''When you're trained as a police officer you don't get immediately put out on the beat by yourself or with another person like you,'' Zifcak says.

''You have something of an apprenticeship, an additional [two years] of [supervision] before you're expected to be on top of using the firearms and understanding the laws and powers you're given.

''Powers under the legislation are perfectly reasonable, it's just that they ought not be given to such profoundly inexperienced officers.''

Victoria Police's acting Chief Commissioner Ken Lay fiercely rejects any suggestion that putting PSOs on stations could somehow make the network unsafe. These officers will study the same three-week safety and tactics course as those doing regular police weapons training, he says.

''We're not going to be putting people out there that haven't got the right levels of training. There's high levels of training around the use of firearms and there's high levels of accountability; they can't just do what they like,'' he says. ''If we get the training right, there's no reason why it should be a problem for us.''

While views differ on how best to make train stations safer at night, what is generally accepted is that Melburnians are scared to travel on the city's often deserted rail network after dark. Confidential surveys by the Transport Department have consistently shown over several years that passengers rate safety after dark as a major problem. Last financial year, about 970 assaults were reported to police to have taken place at stations and on trains across the Victorian rail network, with about half of those believed to have occurred at night.

That means that while people feel unsafe on stations at night, with about 700,000 trips being taken on the metropolitan rail network every day, the chances of being attacked are extremely low. Some are questioning the wisdom of employing nearly 1000 PSOs to deal with an estimated 500 annual assaults on the rail network at night.

While the government's plan is designed to improve perceptions of safety, the security chief of London's Underground train network has warned it could make passengers feel less safe. Geoff Dunmore told a European transport forum in May that the Victorian plan could frighten people into thinking there was something wrong in the same way London passengers became more alarmed when confronted with additional police in the wake of the July 7, 2005, bombing attacks.

But Ken Lay says making people feel safe is just as important as ensuring they actually are, and he is confident the plan will achieve that.

''I've got a young daughter and there's something quite comforting for me [to know] my daughter will get off the train and will see bright green vests and people in uniform there.

''And most of the community would feel very comfortable with that as well, knowing that if they're going to get off the railway station and need to get to the car park there'll be a uniformed presence there.''

There is much that remains unclear about the plan as the launch date gets closer, such as how PSOs will travel between stations and the local police station to pick up and drop off their gun.

There is also the question of toilets for PSOs. Most train station toilets were closed in the mid-1990s when the Kennett government slashed staff numbers. But the Baillieu government has promised $20 million for capital upgrades at the 100 stations without adequate toilets.

OPPOSITION police spokesman James Merlino says the plan is a perfect example of good politics but bad policy and it won public support only because it appealed to people's fears about crime.

He says the government is refusing to budge on its election commitment on the plan because it wants to save face, despite the fact it is deploying armed guards to stations that have never experienced any crime. This, he says, underlines how ill-conceived the plan is.

Merlino says Police Minister Peter Ryan's dumped commitment to introduce about 235 PSOs by next June and his inability to start the introduction at the most dangerous stations show that the policy is too difficult for the government to implement properly. And given a budget blowout Labor estimates at up to $85 million (the government says there is no blowout), the plan should be overhauled, he says.

Daniel Bowen, president of the Public Transport Users Association, says putting guards at every station after dark is a step in the right direction but the overall plan needs to be better organised. After waiting for years for significant investments in public transport, he says deploying PSOs at train stations that are rarely, if ever, the scene of a crime is a waste of resources.

''We would have preferred to have seen a rollout of regular staff from first to last train with an increased security presence at hot-spot stations,'' he says.

''It is a lot of money, and there is an argument to say it could have been directed to where the problems actually exist rather than a blanket approach.''

The government could face another problem in that the low pay, late nights and prospect of guarding a lonely train platform at night have prompted suggestions that Victoria Police will fail to draw enough recruits to meet targets.

PSOs will work a 40-hour week for a starting wage of about $50,000 a year once night penalties are accounted for, which will rise to about $60,000 after six years of service.

When combined with the 1700 new frontline police promised by the government, it is easily the biggest recruiting challenge Victoria Police has ever faced.

But Victoria Police recruitment manager Clara Cooney says there have been hundreds of inquiries since the PSO program was launched two weeks ago, with six people already recruited and about 65 more going through the application process.

''[We] have to have people who are focused, who are confident, who want to be able to actually discuss [things] and talk to people on the platform,'' she says. ''It's also about being able to look out for people if there are any unsafe people within the actual train station.''

Given the deployment of officers armed with guns to rail stations has never been done in Australia before, there is little on which to base the future success of this campaign

In Perth, guards - employed by the operator Transperth - carry pepper spray but cannot use it on trains, while Sydney's train guards are armed only with batons.

Queensland Rail has introduced ''guardian'' trains in Brisbane where a team of two unarmed private security guards travel on every train that leaves Central Station after 7pm on Friday and Saturday. The guards also travel on 40 per cent of trains after 6pm on weekdays, with back-up police and mobile dog squads.

Robert Dow, spokesman for Queensland's Rail Back on Track advocacy group, says the move has been successful and cut serious crime on the trains.

''The PSO stuff with everyone running around with guns is an overkill,'' he says. ''I don't know how conducive it will be to good order and discipline; it might backfire in some ways.''

But Huseyin Sahin doesn't see it this way. He thinks that a well-organised, well-disciplined team of officers can only make things better on a network that is badly in need of a better security presence.

''I want to make a difference in my life and in other people's,'' he says. ''And I think this job will do it.''

With CLAY LUCAS

Reid Sexton is state political reporter.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/youll-never-walk-alone-20110926-1kthk.html

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

Train inspectors rack up 800 violence complaints

Train inspectors rack up 800 violence complaints

    by: Greg Thom
    From: Herald Sun
    October 05, 2011 12:00AM

MORE than 800 complaints about aggressive public transport ticket inspectors have been lodged since last December.

A lot of the incidents involving the officers related to alleged violence against passengers, figures released under Freedom of Information show.

The figures have prompted Greens MP Greg Barber to call for the current fare evasion system to be scrapped.

"Ticket inspectors are a public relations disaster for the public transport system and they are also ineffective at reducing fare evasion," Mr Barber said.

"This sort of aggro associated with ticket inspectors is unnecessary. We simply need to staff every railway station and put a conductor on every tram and make it normal to buy a ticket."

The figures relate to complaints considered serious enough to warrant further investigation by the Transport Department and correspond with the introduction of a new computer database reporting system last December.

The initiative followed a Ombudsman's report, which criticised the ranks of authorised officers and how they went about their task.

"The Ombudsman found it was a largely unregulated, private police force with huge problems with the conduct of its officers," Mr Barber said.

"I think these complaints are just the tip of the iceberg."

Transport Minister Terry Mulder said the officers had a difficult job. Fare evasion cost taxpayers $80 million a year and tough action was needed.

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> Off the rails: steely lines, bloody plot drive Metro spoof

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age -->Train crossing victim 'was listening to music'

Herald Sun --> Tragic train girl 'loving, always optimistic'

=============

Ignoring all warnings and then entering the ROW has a cost.

[ozbob]

Article from the Herald Sun click here!

Parents say public transport is unsafe for their kids

Parents say public transport is unsafe for their kids

    by: Marianne Betts
    From: Herald Sun
    October 18, 2011 12:00AM

ALMOST 90 per cent of parents do not believe it is safe for their children to catch public transport alone, VicHealth has found.

Victoria Walks executive officer Dr Ben Rossiter said this was a concern because walking to and from public transport made children more physically active, playing a vital role in the fight against obesity.

VicHealth's Towards Active and Independently Mobile Children report, released today , surveyed more than 3400 Victorian parents, children and local residents.

But the research did not detail why parents believed public transport was so unsafe, Dr Rossiter said.

There was no fixed age at which children could start catching public transport alone, but some may be able to do it by 10, depending on their mental development, he said.

The survey found three-quarters of parents drove their children to school.

As well as a fear of public transport, three-quarters of parents were concerned about road safety and even more did not trust children to cross main roads.

But almost all of the children - aged eight to 12 - surveyed felt confident about the road rules and knew the way to and from school, Dr Rossiter said.

Most people believed it was important for children to independently walk or ride, and thought their neighbourhood was safe during the day.

"So on the one hand, the conditions seem ideal for children to regularly walk, ride or scoot to school, but in reality, three in four Victorian primary school students are still driven, even though almost half of these trips are less than 2km," Dr Rossiter said.

"The reasons parents don't allow their kids to walk to school include lack of time, the distance, concerns about traffic and public transport and parental fears that something bad will happen along the way."

Ahead of Victoria Walks to School Day tomorrow, Dr Rossiter urged parents to make walking to school a daily habit, as it helped children's fitness, friendships and confidence.

[#Metro]

This doesn't really make sense.

1. There are school buses which are just for school kids.

"The reasons parents don't allow their kids to walk to school include lack of time, the distance, concerns about traffic and public transport and parental fears that something bad will happen along the way."

Lack of time? Huh?
The distance? 2 km???
Traffic concerns??? Walk on the footpath?

I think it has more to do with showing off your latest SUV in front of the other parents...

[Golliwog]

Lack of time is a bit of a crap one to be honest. Just get the little darlings out of bed earlier. Distance can be a legitimate concern though. As an example, FGSHS serves Keperra, Ferny Grove, Upper Kedron, Ferny Hills, Bunya, Samford, and some from out near Dayboro (and more, this is just what I can remember off the top of my head, I know there was also a bus that ran from the school over to Everton Park).

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Two guards per station, per night ... perhaps

Two guards per station, per night ... perhaps
Farrah Tomazin
October 23, 2011

ABOUT 700 people have expressed interest in becoming part of the Baillieu government's new fleet of train station guards, but so far, fewer than a dozen have made it into the course at Melbourne's Police Academy.

Six weeks after Victoria Police launched a national recruitment drive for the first of the 940 protective services officers (PSOs) promised over the next three years, early figures suggest about half a squad - about 10 people - have been inducted into the academy.

Most interest has come from men, in industries from security and defence to retail and trade.
Advertisement: Story continues below

''There are hundreds of people who have expressed interest, but we've got to convert them into people who are inducted into the academy,'' said Victoria Police executive director Rebecca Munn.

''We have people who express interest, then sit the exam. Once they sit the exam they fill out the application process - there's medical, there's fitness, there's a psych assessment - and we lose people through that process. But we're pretty confident ... that we'll deliver our 93 for the first 12 months.''

The first group of PSOs will start their 12 weeks of training in November and will be deployed at stations in the city and inner suburbs in February. Details of their recruitment come as new documents reveal that while only a third of Victoria's railway stations have working toilets, plans to upgrade them were shelved after no funding was provided in this year's budget.

Internal correspondence obtained by The Sunday Age shows the Transport Department had been preparing to upgrade some stations for the PSOs, who will eventually be deployed on all stations in Melbourne and major regional cities after 6pm.

One proposal, which an email suggests had been ''confirmed with the Minister for PT [public transport]'', had involved upgrading all new stations to ensure there was at least ''a dedicated toilet, kitchenette, desk, and power point''.

Another reveals plans to design a ''modular office'' for the PSOs in at least two new stations.

But the plans are on hold because no capital money was allocated in the May state budget, adding fuel to opposition claims that the PSO plan is an ill-considered policy. The documents were obtained by The Sunday Age under freedom-of-information laws. They also contain:

■A briefing note for Transport Minister Terry Mulder, which suggests PSOs could be used to help reduce fare evasion by freeing up ticket inspectors ''to focus on customer service and revenue protection''.

■A March email from a Metro operations manager, which urged for early planning to accommodate the PSOs, because ''we may be criticised in the future if we do not design for these guys now''.

■Figures revealing that 104 of the state's 299 train stations have working toilets, but there was no capital funding in the current budget for infrastructure requirements.

A department spokesman said the first stations where PSOs would be deployed did not require ''significant capital works''. But he added: ''The government will ensure that there are sufficient facilities to accommodate PSOs at stations when they are rolled out ... so it is expected that the upgrade work will be completed in line with the PSO rollout schedule.''

Opposition acting police spokeswoman Jill Hennessy said the documents showed ''what a shambles this policy has become''.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/two-guards-per-station-per-night-8230-perhaps-20111022-1mdi0.html

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From the Herald Sun click here!

Ticket officers have powers withdrawn

Ticket officers have powers withdrawn

    by: Ashley Gardiner
    From: Herald Sun
    November 02, 2011 6:26PM

JUST three ticket inspectors were stripped of their powers from more than 800 investigations by the Department of Transport in 11 months to September.

One was removed for the misuse of personal information, but none for violent behaviour, the department said.

None of the three ticket inspectors lost their job.

Instead, they were given other duties and can no longer check passengers' tickets.

Of the 840 incidents involving inspectors referred to the department, 44 were deemed to require further  Investigation.

Of those, three officers had their authorisations revoked.

One inspector worked for Yarra Trams and two for Metro.

Serious cases proved by the department can lead to dismissal, while lesser offences can see an employee redeployed.

Department of Transport spokeswoman Andrea Duckworth said the three most severe cases related to breaches of the rules.

There was no physical altercation with any member of the public in any of these cases, Ms Duckworth said.

In cases of a very serious abuse of power giving rise to criminal conduct, the Department of Transport refers matters to Victoria Police for investigation.

However, no such referral has been made this year.

Ms Duckworth said many of the complaints referred to the department for review were of a minor nature, such as commuters unhappy when asked by an authorised officer to produce a valid ticket.

Rail, Tram and Bus Union state secretary Trevor Dobbyn seized on the statistics, and said they disproved the view of some that authorised officers were aggressive and violent.

"To suggest otherwise is a slur on hard-working members," Mr Dobbyn said.

"They are more likely to be on the receiving end of aggression by members of the public."

Mr Dobbyn said the figures showed that a recent claim by Greens MP Greg Barber, that 800 complaints had been made against violent and aggressive inspectors, was wrong.

[ozbob]

Twitter

ClayLucas Clay Lucas
Police min Peter Ryan has welcomed first 21 PSOs to train for patrolling Melb's rail stations - only 919 more to hit promised 940! #springst

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Melbourne Age --> Public catches first glimpse of rail protective officers

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From the Herald Sun click here!

Railway stations safety plea for commuters

Railway stations safety plea for commuters

    by: Greg Thom
    From: Herald Sun
    December 10, 2011 12:00AM

COMMUTERS are risking their lives each time they try to take a train because of unsafe rail platforms, the State Government has been warned.

Poor access to platforms meant pedestrians and cyclists had to navigate a dangerous path through cars and buses, a coalition of transport groups says.

The Road User Collaborative, led by the RACV, has listed stations it believes need urgent attention, from Box Hill to Footscray and Frankston.

The group, which includes Metro, Yarra Trams, the Victorian Taxi Association, Bicycle Victoria and BusVic, has urged the Baillieu Government to give stations priority in its planned transport blueprint.

The explosion in commuter numbers was putting enormous pressure on stations to safely accommodate people arriving by bike, foot, car or bus, said RACV policy manager Brian Negus.

Issues included:

A LACK of safe, connected paths for cyclists and pedestrians.

BUS stops and taxi ranks too far away from platform entrances.

INADEQUATE parking and storage.

"Train stations are under pressure to safely accommodate growing numbers of commuters who arrive by a range of different modes, including walking, riding, driving or as a passenger in a private car, taxi or bus," Mr Negus said.

Better safety and access would encourage more people to use trains.

It would also encourage commuters to leave their cars at home and walk, ride a bike or catch a bus to stations.

"The provision of direct, continuous and connected routes, improved lighting and dedicated paths to separate vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists from vehicles, should all be standard features at our train stations," Mr Negus said.

Transport minister Terry Mulder has established the Station User Panel from groups such as Victoria Police, VCOSS and the Public Transport Users Association to devise principles for railway station design.

[ozbob]

Train armed guard plans stall
January 18, 2012: The Victorian state government's policy to put armed guards at Melbourne train stations at night appears to have stalled with police struggling to attract potential recruits.

--> http://video.au.msn.com/watch/video/train-armed-guard-plans-stall/x88085b

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Herald Sun --> Teenager dies train surfing at Caulfield Station

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Melbourne Age --> Baillieu hints at tougher stand on train surfing

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Herald Sun --> Victorian night riders in fear

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From the Herald Sun click here!

Alarm at rail near misses in Melbourne

Alarm at rail near misses in Melbourne

    by: Greg Thom
    From: Herald Sun
    February 01, 2012 12:00AM

ALARMING numbers of Melburnians are dicing with death on the suburban rail network.

Metro documents seen by the Herald Sun show more than 565 "near misses" were logged in 2011.

The near misses ranged from graffiti artists getting their kicks, to school children dangling their legs from platforms, and pedestrians straying on to tracks.

More than 60 pedestrians and cars were hit by trains last year, most of them ending in death. But it is the huge number of close calls that has shocked authorities and left train drivers with frayed nerves.

The internal reports show delays caused as a result of actual and near collisions numbered more than 1000 days in lost travel time.

A man died last week when hit by a train while illegally crossing tracks at the notorious St Albans level crossing.

Transport Department statistics show the number of pedestrians fined for ignoring flashing lights and other warnings has quadrupled.

More than 863 pedestrians were fined to September 30 last year - up from 226 for the entire 2010.

Train drivers union chief Marc Marotta said the stress caused by such irresponsible behaviour was taking its toll on drivers.

"I know of one driver who bailed out after 14 fatalities because he just couldn't take it any more," he said.

Veteran train driver Terry Sheedy has been involved in two fatal accidents during his 47 years as a driver, one of which saw his train sliced in half by a semi-trailer.

He said near misses could be just as harrowing.

"The worst one I had was a woman with a kid in a pusher. She was going to cross right in front of me and for a moment just disappeared from my window," he said.

"She must have pulled back at the very last moment, but geez it was close."

Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen said the time lost due to incidents on train tracks had a significant impact on the efficiency of the rail network.

"The major disruption caused if a train line has to be closed for a number of hours is the equivalent of closing a major freeway," he said.

Metro spokeswoman Geraldine Mitchell said risk-taking behaviour on or near railway tracks was a part of everyday life for staff. "This is a difficult part of the job and we provide a range of support," she said.

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9News --> PSOs to start at Melbourne train stations