By Cam Lucadou-Wells
IT TOOK two days but Casey Council has lowered the council flag to half-mast as part of its law-and-order campaign.
The flag at Casey Civic Centre was lowered on 8 September after Mayor Sam Aziz introduced the motion at a council meeting two nights earlier.
The council won’t raise the flag until it gets its desired action from police and governments such as more Casey-based police, tougher sentencing and a taskforce on violent street gangs.
The council also resolved to set up an online petition that automatically lobbies Victorian and federal politicians on the issue.
Cr Aziz labelled the spate of home invasions and carjackings as a form of terrorism.
“When you think about terrorism, it is intended to make you fearful. There may not be a risk to you directly, but you don’t know for sure.
“Given Casey residents are in distress and not feeling safe in their homes, we will be flying the Casey flag at half-mast till we get action to protect our community.
“Our community has been under siege from the escalating violence. Why should our residents put up with this?”
Cr Aziz said the flag’s lowering was delayed due to it not having been approved by Casey’s chief executive Mike Tyler, who had been away for two days at a conference.
“All flag requests have to go through the CEO’s office… we’re getting it happening.”
Commentators on Star News’s Facebook and website pages were sceptical about the symbolic move.
Some posted that the council should spend more on “pro-active” measures such as CCTV around Casey and ‘ambassadors’ to patrol and report on “areas of interest”.
“Flying a flag at half mast is sure to scare off the bad guys,” wrote another.
Other criticism centred on perceived disrespect of lowering the Casey flag – though the Australian flag, which is governed by a set of protocols, continued to fly at full mast.
The half-mast measure followed fast after a special council meeting on 1 September that endorsed lobbying the State Government, Federal Government, Victoria Police and the state’s Chief Magistrate.
Cr Aziz said since the special meeting, there was at least three more serious incidents including a “terrible” attempted armed carjacking on Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road.
In a show of the community’s concern, a crime prevention gathering was organised by a home-invasion victim at Sweeney Reserve, Narre Warren, on 10 September.
“It’s the ones who aren’t directly affected who want direct action,” organiser ‘Brett’ – who didn’t wish to be made – said.
“Once it happens to you, you probably realise you brought it on yourself to an extent.
“If I was to get on my high horse about anything, I’d like the State Government to subsidise alarms and CCTV – like they do with solar panels and insulation.”
Casey council’s online petition is at http://www.casey.vic.gov.au/council/advocacy-consultation/advocate/safer-casey.
