"You'll never walk alone" - 940 armed guards at melbourne train stations

www.theage.com.au...

The now $232 million plan was first promised by the Baillieu opposition before the last election and played a significant role in it winning office. Under the plan, PSOs will be overseen by police. They will have the power to arrest and detain offenders in the vicinity of a train station until police arrive, and pursue offenders out of a station or onto a train. PSOs can also be deployed as a large-scale rapid response team if ordered by police.
The first PSOs will start their 12-week training course in November at the Police Academy in Glen Waverley and be on duty by February, with 93 expected to be working across inner-city stations by July 1 next year.
By the state election in November 2014, Victoria Police must have 940 of the officers deployed in pairs at every nominated station to meet the Baillieu government's target.
But the prospect of two armed guards on every Melbourne rail station after 6pm has, for some, revived bad memories of the 1980s and early '90s, when Victoria Police shot dead more than twice as many people as forces in all other Australian jurisdictions combined.
While the government says the scheme will improve the safety of previously unguarded stations at night, critics say it is nothing less than the militarisation of the entire train network.
Organisations such as Liberty Victoria and the Law Institute of Victoria have criticised the plan, saying the policy is highly flawed and arming officers after training them for just three months is a recipe for disaster.

Victoria: The Police State, I'm amending my license plates tonight. This is so frightening, I live 2 hours from the city and I'm frightened to train there ever again which is a real pain because all my friends live there, in fact I was about to move there.
How can we Australians sit here and take such a constant raping? $240 fines for swearing? Weapons searches with no cause? The sale of bongs in Victoria is banned as of November too, I think.

What ever will we do? 940 officers with semi automatic weapons, 12 weeks training (LOL???) and they're responsible for our safety? FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF I'M LIVID.

Are things that bad on the trains there for my Aussie brothers and sisters? Why would they ramp up so much security/enforcement? Were people complaining and being victimized a great deal?

Originally posted by Flint2011
Are things that bad on the trains there for my Aussie brothers and sisters? Why would they ramp up so much security/enforcement? Were people complaining and being victimized a great deal?

It's probably as much of an issue as anywhere else, obviously with such a high population crime is fairly prevalent at night (at certain stations); this response is DEFINITELY not warranted though, I probably hear of like 1-2 bashings a year at metro stations. While I'm sure more occur, it hasn't been an enormous issue here in Victoria afaic.

edit: and if it WAS a real issue, shouldn't we then train these people adequately? I struggle to see how 12 weeks training is sufficient when these stations are supposedly dangerous enough to warrant armed guards (which they aren't). Total joke.

reply to post by posthuman


I definitely understand your concerns then. Seems overkill and a waste of resources if that's the case. These kind of things are definitely cause for caution.

reply to post by posthuman


I for one am happy something is finally being done to protect travellers. My children used to travel by train frequently and at least 70% of the time they would witness or be involved with harrassment or abuse by thugs who seem to have no other purpose in life besides making innocent people feel threatened and scared.

The call was actually put out for these positions to be filled by ex army personal who, in my opinion, would be perfect for this role.

reply to post by sunsetatdawn


Umm, how old were your kids? I've travelled extensively on just about every metro line, at night on the weekends; occasionally you'll get a few drunk guys or a junky making a scene but I've NEVER seen any extreme violence on Melbourne public transport.

You think men with guns are perfect to do do the job of a fat security guard with a set of zip ties? I'd like to meet you, how about we rendezvous outside the ministry of truth? See you there comrade.

Bear in mind this is a state were our police carried six shot revolvers until very recently.. It's as if I've gone from living in Britain to living in America over the past 5 years..

reply to post by posthuman


The issue with Melbourne is that it has a history of particuly violent 'organised' style crime. Having said that so does Sydney and Bris-vegas is on it's way there too.

The well trained police in victoria already do a pretty effective job of murdering people without a horde of poorly trained, gun toting rent-a-cops being added to the mix.

Perhaps the victorian authorities have decided that the best way to deal with organised crime is to create their own hard-line mafia consisting of armed mercenaries.

I'm in Adelaide so I hope it doesn't bleed over the border!

reply to post by posthuman


Okay, my older kids are 15, 18 & 20. Used the Belgrave & Lilydale lines. The eldest two now have their licence so no longer use the train.

I don't know where you come off with your attitude, calling me comrade. Is it wrong for me to think innocent people have the right to safety on our public transport system?

If your not doing anything wrong, you have nothing to worry about.

Originally posted by Raivan31
reply to post by posthuman

 

The issue with Melbourne is that it has a history of particuly violent 'organised' style crime. Having said that so does Sydney and Bris-vegas is on it's way there too.

The well trained police in victoria already do a pretty effective job of murdering people without a horde of poorly trained, gun toting rent-a-cops being added to the mix.

Perhaps the victorian authorities have decided that the best way to deal with organised crime is to create their own hard-line mafia consisting of armed mercenaries.

I'm in Adelaide so I hope it doesn't bleed over the border!

Yes but none of these crime syndicates operate at train stations lol, and I fail to see how glorified security guards with 12 weeks training are supposed to curtail heavy gang activity??

Originally posted by sunsetatdawn
reply to post by posthuman

 

Okay, my older kids are 15, 18 & 20. Used the Belgrave & Lilydale lines. The eldest two now have their licence so no longer use the train.

I don't know where you come off with your attitude, calling me comrade. Is it wrong for me to think innocent people have the right to safety on our public transport system?

If your not doing anything wrong, you have nothing to worry about.

What? Yes I have the right to feel safe, and this makes me feel the opposite? If I'm not doing anything wrong I have nothing to worry about? Our POLICE who are trained for over 12 months shot a man dead the other day for stabbing HIMSELF. I can't even fathom the idiocy that will be perpetrated by these 'guards'. L-O-L

I am a licenced security provider and I can tell you it is going to get far worse than this.The entire security force is being privatized,as is council employee's such as parking metre officer's.They will all be granted power's to carry weapon's and the power's to arrest.Even to enter homes and conduct searches.This is a slippery slope and I want no part of it! As of October we are to be finger printed for the job here in Queensland.Well they can get bent.The are also major changes comming to our port's and inland mines.I cannot warn Australians enough as to what is comming.This come straight from the mouth of a security trainer who sit's in meeting's with Government offical's .He is a straight shooter and doesn't stretch the truth.I myself have been aware of the change's comming for the past 4 year's and have been watching the British model (on which this is being based on) of this unfold.Prehap's a UK member would like to comment on the changes,particularly those of the last month.Big changes and Big Brother is about to let themselve's be known.

I used to live a 5 minute walk from Ringwood station and there were stabbings and bashings there at least once per week. Most were done by immigrant youths (no i am NOT a racist - just stating the FACTS). Mainly Asians and Māoris. They would hang out there late at night and wait for "skippies" (their term) to come out drunk from the local night clubs. They would bash, stab and rob as well as sexually assault many young girls. It has almost erupted into a full blown race war on more than 1 occasion. The last straw for me was when an Aussie bloke turned up because they had assaulted his girlfriend. He shot 2 of them at point blank - it never made the news because I think TBTB were worried about igniting a war. I moved away interstate about 5 years ago and would never go back there. So my point is, I do not agree with draconian laws but if I had armed guards there every night I may not have moved away!

Since yall can't keep firearms to protect yourselves this looks like the next best option you have. How are the laws there regarding carrying and using mace and taser's? If the people have no way to protect themselves from violent crime then these extra police are a must. If these gang bangers rape just one woman or beat down and rob just one guy, then that's one to many in my book.

reply to post by lokdog


Uhuh, and what happens when the guard who's had virtually no training gets a bit scared cos someone's sprinting towards him and there's a whole bunch of people being rowdy further back? When the man running for his train gets blown away because the guard hasn't had the experience and training required to react appropriately to an immediately alarming situation, who's fault is it?
Why do these men need firearms? Surely if there are two of them then tasers/mace are more than adequate? The odds of them coming up against a firearm are extremely slim; yeah there are guns here, but very rarely are they turned on public servants, especially by the kinds of groups these guards will be there to moderate.

By most countries' standards, melbourne is still a pretty friggin safe place.. If certain stations are having particular problems then maybe the state government should work with councils to tackle the issues on a station by station basis, if the situation is REALLY that bad.

With the amount of sexual assaults occurring in Sydney on the train system I'm happy for more power provided it is overseen by the Police force. I do not want the Revenue Protection Services gaining much more power.

I am not familiar with safety in Melbourne on trains.

With around 216 stations in the Melbourne Greater Metropolitan Network this works out to a team of 4 police per station. That's better than the 20+ RPS people in Town Hall Station Sydney during the mornings pushing their weight around with no accountability.

Just a quick bump in case anyone else actually cares about this? Ludicrous.

Australia will be the first country in the world to have a police state, Australia is a quickly evolved small country and is the perfect testing ground for the elites plan, what system succeeds in Australia will succeed in the world, its no coincidence America is the only country now allowed a military base in the country. on the upside at least people will be able to travel with peace of mind especially on late night trips.

Dunno.. I kinda agree with it, its a good policy.

If they need in Melb they've needed in Perth for quite some time.. try catching the cas to armadale train after 8pm..
Australia has some issues with the discipline of its youth, particularly its unemployed.. and these issues are more often than not close to, or at train stations.

Sounds good, lets saturate the most unsafe place of public life with some protection. Creates jobs, lowers crime, removes congestion from the waiting rooms at hospitals...