Hoons hounded

By Melissa Meehan
THE residents of Pakenham have had enough.
Tired of suburban streets being turned into amateur race tracks, Gazette readers have pleaded with police to stop this behaviour before somebody gets hurt.
Roads including Cameron Way, Eagle Drive, Ahern Road, Orchard Valley Avenue, Walnut Way, Livingstone Boulevard, Windermere Boulevard, Army Road, Duncan Drive, John Street, Henry Street, King Street, Gardenia Street, Fallingwater Drive and Barrington Drive have all been named and shamed as popular with hoons on the Gazette’s Facebook page.
Pakenham resident Katie Burns said she and other residents were now taking registration numbers and calling the police whenever they could.
“We have have had enough,” she said.
Livingstone Boulevard residents Marie Nooy and Kel Goring say people speed up and down their street at all times of the day.
“It’s 40 (km/h), you idiots, not 80,” Mr Goring said.
“Right near the school, too. Cops should be setting up speed cameras there.”
Others said the width of Cameron Way was a magnet for dangerous driving in the area.
“The road is so wide and open, Kingston and Barrington get speed humps but we don’t,” Kimberley MacDonald said.
David Gothard agreed, saying the streets off Cameron Way, including Barrington Drive, were hoon hotspots.
“A red P-plater hit a gum tree near Dianne Close the other day and totalled the car,” he said.
“ … the car had spun around and was sitting on the footpath; 50km/h, I don’t think so.”
Cardinia Highway Patrol’s Sergeant Nigel Atkins said that while he understood the residents’ concern, hooning had been a social problem for “many, many, many years”.
“I can rightly understand why the public are aggrieved and angered by this brainless misbehaviour of hoons,” he said.
“These drivers are the rats of our roads.”
He said concerned residents needed to be vigilant and capture offending drivers with modern technology, such as video, and provide police with evidence.
“Actions speak louder than words and complaining,” he said.
“Unfortunately, police cannot be in all places at all times – we need the support and courage of the public to come forward and fix these perpetrators up for good.”
Sergeant Atkins said there might be light at the end of the tunnel with new legislation coming into force from 1 July that would enable police to impound a hoon’s car for up to 14 days.
“This should curb the misbehaviour to some degree,” he said.
“I’ve said it before and will repeat myself. Cardinia roads are not a fun parlour – if these hoons want to engage in a cheap thrill, then I suggest they buy a ticket to Disneyland and get their thrills there.
“Hooning will not be tolerated at all by the Pakenham Police.”
Anyone who sees hooning behaviour should write down registration numbers and contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.