Entertain kids, says Lempriere

Paul Dunlop
CINEMAS — not security cameras — would be the best way to combat youth crime in Pakenham, Cardinia councillor Kate Lempriere has said.
Unfortunately, residents will have to be patient.
Cr Lempriere supported calls, reported in last week’s Gazette, for increased security in the central business district where vandalism and graffiti have been rife in recent weeks.
She said she would raise the prospect of surveillance cameras at council level.
Traders say they are frustrated by vandals targeting the shopping strip.
Windows were scratched, graffiti tags spraypainted on walls and seats and a rubbish bin thrown through a window as the damage intensified last month.
But although sympathetic to traders’ concerns, Cr Lempriere said she would like to see more “proactive” solutions to the problem.
“We definitely must support our traders, no question of that, but the best thing would be to give young people other things to do so they are not hanging around the streets causing trouble,” she said.
“Security cameras are probably a good idea, but they could be very expensive and then there’s the issue of who pays for them and who monitors them.
“What we really need is more entertainment, be it a cinema, bowling alley or pinball arcade, somewhere people can go.”
Cr Lempriere said council had injected extra resources into youth and sporting facilities in its budget for 200607.
She said Cardinia would continue to lobby cinema operators to set their sights on Pakenham but did not believe this would happen until the town grows further.
“Be assured, if it was up to council they’d be here already.
“We have spoken to all the major operators, and they won’t come here until the population reaches a certain level.
“We can’t ask them to go broke waiting for Pakenham to grow.”