‘Anti-social behaviour’ in Belgrave South

The pump track has been the site of a number of alleged incidents. (Stewart Chambers 425506_13)

The Belgrave South Recreation Reserve has been the topic of an unfortunate social media post by police on Thursday 10 September which brought to light a number of incidents at the pump track, which is newly installed.

“Belgrave Police have been made aware of a series of incidents including alleged assaults, threats and other anti-social behaviours involving youth at the Pump Track in Belgrave South Recreation Reserve,” read the post.

“Local police have been tasked to perform regular patrols of the area and have a zero-tolerance approach to those that affect the safety and wellbeing of the public.”

This comes after the area has only recently been revitalised in August with the new pump track, a freshly painted Indigenous mural, lighting, a new basketball hoop and gathering spaces added by Yarra Ranges Council with the assistance of a crime prevention grant to freshen up the space for the community.

The project aims to apply an inclusive environmental design approach to deter crime, increase safety and activate public places and council received 300,000 dollars from a creating safer places grant as part of the state government’s building safer communities program and had to complete the project within two years.

According to the Victoria Police website examples of anti-social behaviour include:

loud and nuisance behaviour

verbal abuse

threatening behaviour

harassment and intimidation

vandalism

criminal damage to public or private property.

In their recent post, police have asked for assistance in curbing these behaviours and urge the public to report incidents to their station – in this case Belgrave.

In an emergency, to report a crime in progress, or to ask for immediate police attendance, please call Triple Zero (000).

For an incident not requiring immediate attendance, please contact Belgrave Police Station on 9756 5544