Woodgrove shopping centre is safe despite a 36 per cent increase in assault charges, police say.
Figures obtained by Star Weekly reveal rises in assaults and thefts, with the biggest spike being in correction order breaches in the nine months to September 30 last year, compared with the same period in 2014.
Thirty-four assault charges were laid last year, compared with 25 the year before.
Senior Sergeant Barry Jenks, of the Melton crime investigation unit, said the centre was safe, but he was concerned by the increase in assaults.
“There’s practically been an assault there once a month, but it could have been that there was one fight and five people have been charged,” Senior Sergeant Jenks said.
“The rates are not out of proportion to other places around Melton or Caroline Springs – Woodgrove is a big place and lots of people go there.
“While there’s not a tolerable number – we don’t want any – it’s not a dangerous place.”
Senior Sergeant Jenks said most assaults were committed by, and against, people known to each other.
Increased patrols
He said police had ramped up patrols of the centre and were co-ordinating closely with the centre’s security guards and in-house loss prevention officers from larger stores.
The collaboration had netted more offences and offenders as security guards and loss prevention officers familiarised themselves with people wanted by police, he added.
In the same nine-month period to September 30, almost 30 charges were issued at Woodgrove for people breaching correction orders, including breaches of bail conditions – up from five the year before .
Woodgrove centre manager Greg Balmforth said management met regularly with local police to improve the centre’s safety.
“Woodgrove is monitored by a large, professional security team 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and there is an extensive CCTV network throughout the centre, which is constantly reviewed in line with the latest security trends,” Mr Balmforth said.
