A Tarneit man is so fed up with the amount of crime in his area that he has formed his own Neighbourhood Watch group.
Sanjay Sethi, who has lived in the suburb for more than three years, said he had noticed a significant spike in property crime in recent times.
He said he and his neighbours had experienced attempted home robberies, car break-ins and vandalism on many occasions.
So they decided to fight back.
“We hope to let people know what is happening in the area and raise awareness [of crime] to protect ourselves,” he said.
Mr Sethi hopes the Neighbourhood Watch group will be used as a vehicle to lobby for a greater police presence in the region and to campaign for better lighting in the streets.
“The problem is there is so much open space and parks around, which encourages [antisocial behaviour],” he said. “We need more lighting in the area. We need more police patrolling our streets so we can feel safer.”
Mr Sethi said he and his committee were spending their evenings door-knocking homes in the area informing residents of local issues and how to prevent crime.
He said he wants other Tarneit residents who have experienced crime to join his new group.
Anyone interested in joining the Neighbourhood Watch group can contact Mr Sethi on 0447115967.
