Security drive for

By Rebecca Fraser
CASEY sports clubs look set to have their security bolstered following a string of break-ins at local reserves.
Mayor Kevin Bradford said he had been left disgusted by the recent spate of burglaries, in which clubs lost everything from canteen lollies, sausages and soft drink to cricket pads, bats and footballs.
Cr Bradford said council officers were now reviewing the city’s sports facilities in a bid to improve security and better protect local clubs.
He said officers would be reviewing the quality of buildings and looking at ways to secure and strengthen existing doors.
Cr Bradford said the council might also consider installing alarms at certain venues where practical in a bid to deter thieves and vandals.
“I think it (the thefts) is an absolute disgrace.
“Most clubs are run by volunteer committees who go out of their way to fundraise and buy this equipment. Then they have low-lifes breaking in and taking it all. I hope the authorities catch them and make an example of them,” he said.
Earlier this month the Narre Warren South Junior Football Club’s canteen was virtually stripped bare of items valued at more than $2000 including a microwave, a hot dog maker, crock pot and even a soup ladle and lollies on the eve of match day.
The clubrooms and storage shed at Lawson Poole Reserve in Cranbourne were then broken into for the fifth time two weekends ago.
The facility is home to 10 local clubs including Cranbourne Little Athletics, Cranbourne AusKick and the Cranbourne Meadows Cricket Club were affected and Lawson Poole Reserve committee of management secretary and Cranbourne Little Athletics treasurer Linda Gladstone said the clubs were becoming extremely frustrated at the constant break-ins and vandalism.
“It’s the amount of damage they do and the inconvenience of it all,” she said.
“The kids are the ones who are missing out.”
The Lynbrook Cricket Club was also a victim of crime late last year when thieves broke into the pavilion at Banjo Patterson Reserve.
All the under-11 and under-13 cricket gear, including bats, balls, pads and gloves, were taken as well as 1000 cans of soft drink, 200 sausages, T-shirts and stubby holders that were set aside for future fundraisers.
Cr Bradford said he hoped the worrying trend would soon be curbed by the new security measures so clubs could fundraise for new equipment instead of being forced to replace stolen items.
Anyone with any information about the recent spate of thefts at local sports clubs can contact Cranbourne CIU on 5995 4577, Narre Warren CIU on 9705 3111 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.