Joanne Mutsaerts, Melton Neighbourhood Policing Co-ordinator
Melton Police are currently focused on working with licensed venues to ensure responsible service and consumption of alcohol.
We run regular checks of venues and work with local council and relevant authorities to ensure the licensed venues are well managed, staff are well trained, security of patrons is maintained and the amenity of the area is uppermost in the minds of venue operators.
We encourage patrons of these venues to plan ahead in order to make sure they have transport to and from their destination.
Police understand the impacts that over-supply and over-consumption of alcohol has in the community, as it is often linked to street assaults and road trauma.
It is unfortunate that there are people in our community who take advantage of others by spiking someone’s drink, making them vulnerable to harmful actions. While we are not seeing this any alarming increases in this trend in Melton, it is still always important to remember to never accept a drink you haven’t seen the bar staff pour and never leave drinks unattended.
Anyone who believes their drink has been spiked should alert their friends if they are feeling unwell, seek medical attention and contact police who will thoroughly investigate these reports.
If you are out with friends, it is important to stay together and look after one another. Conflict can happen anywhere, it’s always best to walk away from dangerous situations and take your friends with you. If you ever feel unsafe, make sure you are not isolated, stay with your friends and head to a well-lit, populated area and call Triple-0.
