Nearly half of all crimes committed at Wyndham train stations in the past five years have taken place in Werribee.
Figures from the Crime Statistics Agency reveal that a total 1417 offences were recorded at Wyndham’s five train stations – Werribee, Hoppers Crossing, Williams Landing, Tarneit and Wyndham Vale – and surrounding carparks between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2016.
Werribee station was the location of 657 of those crimes, including 299 deception offences, 110 instances of property damage, 67 assault and related offences, and 186 thefts, including thefts of and from cars, bikes and other goods.
There were also 169 public order offences, which can include weapons and explosives offences, disorderly conduct and public nuisance.
Hoppers Crossing recorded the next highest number of offences (396), including 143 thefts from motor vehicles, 35 instances of property damage and 50 public order and security offences.
Bicycle thefts dominated train station crime at Williams Landing, with a third of the 180 offences detected relating to stolen bikes.
Tarneit and Wyndham Vale stations, which opened in June, 2015 as part of the Regional Rail Link, recorded 97 and 87 offences respectively after opening.
One man, who does not want to be named but who is a founding member of Tarneit Neighbourhood Watch, said that since Tarneit train station opened there had been a rise in crime in the area.
“In the last two years, the public transportation came and the crime came,” he said.
Last week, the state government announced that Protective Services Officers, who man train stations every night from 6pm to the last train, would be given new powers to target anti-social behaviour and crime at stations.
In particular, PSOs will soon be given the power to arrest a person who has breached their parole, conduct searches for illicit drugs and request details from people who have witnessed a crime.
Werribee and Hoppers Crossing were among the first stations to get PSOs in 2012, while Williams Landing received them in April, 2013. Tarneit and Wyndham Vale were staffed with PSOs in March last year.
Police Minister Lisa Neville said the expanded powers would help make train stations safer at night.
“These measures will ensure that PSOs have the appropriate powers, are in the right places, and working at the right time, to respond to crime hotspots across Melbourne’s public transport network,” she said.
