Police vandal blitz

POLICE will be stepping up patrols in Casey in an effort to catch the increasing number of youths damaging cars, homes and letterboxes.
Police say bored youths over the school holiday period have resulted in police receiving 256 property damage reports from 1 December last year to 12 January.
Senior Sergeant Bruce Kitchen from the Cranbourne police station said the figures were up by 17 percent compared to the 2008/2009 statistics.
Police will be taking a zero tolerance approach to vandalism, according to Sen Sgt Kitchen.
“We believe the increase is due to the current economic climate, with many families not going away for the Christmas period and as a result there are more youths loitering in the streets,” he said.
“It’s important for parents to communicate with their children about acceptable behaviour in the community,” Sen Sgt Kitchen said.