By Cam Lucadou-Wells
CASEY Mayor Sam Aziz has called for a special council meeting on the “on-going escalation” of home invasions in the municipality as the State Government introduces “tough new laws”.
On 1 September, the council will vote on Cr Aziz’s motion to lobby Police Minister Lisa Neville and Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton for an increase in police numbers for Casey.
The motion also expresses the council’s “extreme disappointment” at the trial closure of weekend-night counter service at Endeavour Hills police station, given Casey’s population is growing by 120 a week.
“Many of our residents are families with children,” the motion states.
“Casey needs more police presence to protect its residents, not less.”
Cr Aziz told Star News that “alarm bells are ringing” in the community over an apparent spate in violent crime and home invasions.
“I don’t know how much more residents can take. People are scared to be in their own homes – we’ve never had this before.”
Under the proposal, Casey would also write to the Chief Magistrate of Victoria Peter Lauritsen to voice its “disappointment” that recent sentences haven’t “reflected community expectations”.
The motion also echoes La Trobe MP Jason Wood’s calls for a federal-state policing taskforce to combat violent street gangs such as Apex, and for dual citizens to be deported if they commit a violent crime in a gang setting and receive a jail sentence.
It also calls on the Victorian Government to introduce beefed-up minimum sentences for crimes such as aggravated burglary that are “commensurate” with the impact on victims.
The day before the council meeting, the State Government has introduced legislation to create new offences of carjacking and aggravated home invasion with statutory minimum sentences.
The carjacking offence alone would carry a maximum penalty of 15 years, and aggravated carjacking 25 years with a minimum non-parole period of three years and a presumption against bail.
Aggravated carjacking applies when the perpetrator carries an offensive weapon or causes injury during the offence.
Home invasion is defined by an intruder, in the company of others, committing an armed burglary while an occupant is in the home.
The strict liability offence carries a 25-year maximum, with a three-year non-parole period for aggravated home invasion.
The aggravated offence applies when there are at least three armed intruders, who knew people were at home or were reckless as to whether there were occupants.
Premier Daniel Andrews said the “tough new laws” were about people having the right to “feel safe in their homes and in their cars”.
Police Minister Lisa Neville said carjacking and home invasion happened in small numbers, but were “appalling crimes which take a huge toll on their victims and impact communities”.
“The community expects that police will have the powers and resources they need to target these criminals – and that’s exactly what we’re giving them.”
