There have been 171 thefts committed at train stations in Wyndham within two years.
But there is some good news for commuters, with the number of thefts decreasing between each year-long period, according to data from the state’s Crime Statistics Agency.
The figures showed there were 75 thefts at the Hoppers Crossing, Tarneit, Williams Landing, Werribee and Wyndham Vale railway stations between October 2016 and September last year, compared to 96 thefts during the previous 12 months.
Across the two years, Williams Landing station recorded the highest amount of thefts, at 47 offences.
There were 42 thefts reported at Tarneit station, 39 at Werribee, 32 at Hoppers Crossing and seven at Wyndham Vale.
Out of all the thefts at Wyndham’s train stations, there were 91 bicycles stolen, including 38 from Williams Landing station, 19 from Hoppers Crossing, 15 from Tarneit and 13 from Werribee.
Most of the other thefts were recorded as cars getting broken into; motor vehicle theft; people at stations who were charged with receiving or handling stolen goods; fare evasion; and thefts from retail outlets (for example, from cafes at the train stations).
A commuter who used to leave his bike at the Tarneit station every day, Sony Varghese, said his bicycle (a black 2014 edition of the Trek 7.7 FX bicycle) was stolen last month.
Mr Varghese said that on January 10, he parked his bike in the Parkiteer cage beside the station – which is accessible via cards issued to cyclists – and caught the train to work.
He arrived back in Tarneit at 5pm that evening and his bike was gone. Mr Varghese said he reported the theft to police.
He also contacted Bicycle Victoria, which operates the Parkiteer cages. He said he was told the CCTV camera in the Tarneit cage is a “dummy” and was not actually recording.
“In a so-called developed society where the government operates with high taxes from the people, how can I go to work to feed my family and trust services like Parkiteer, which do not even install a camera?” Mr Varghese said.
Star Weekly contacted Bicycle Victoria for comment.
