Locals fear trouble

By Danielle Galvin
LANG LANG residents say they fear the town’s troublemakers will have free rein because of the lack of police presence.
But Superintendent Derek Lamb told disheartened residents at a public meeting that a police restructure would be good for the town.
The Monday night meeting was called by police to tackle growing concerns after the town’s only full-time police officer Richard Eskamp was transferred.
The town’s police station is empty although there are plans to have it manned on Mondays and Thursdays for a total of 12 hours.
There are also plans to make a police hub at Kooweerup.
But residents are concerned that the closest 24 hour station is in Pakenham which is at least half an hour away.
“What happens when they have to drive from Pakenham at night?” one resident asked.
Supt Lamb, the commander of southern metropolitan region said that police were always in demand during the busy times.
“You can be in the heart of Dandenong and wait half an hour for a policeman, it depends on demand,” Supt Lamb said.
For the first time in 100 years the town will not have a police officer and locals said they felt cheated.
One female resident remarked that the reshuffle disadvantaged Lang Lang. “I’m encouraging you to give this a go,” Supt Lamb responded.
Another resident said that having a police officer living in the town was a deterrent for troublemakers. “They see that there is a police officer watching them, and that they have their eye on them,” he said.
But Supt Lamb rejected the claim.
“The evidence doesn’t back that up. We can provide a better service from Kooweerup.”
Supt Lamb explained that Lang Lang was not considered rural under the divisional structure.
He said that Lang Lang was a part of the southern metropolitan region of Victoria Police.
One resident remarked that the township had a country ‘feel’.
“Lang Lang is a country town. There is a different culture here. Richard Eskamp was a police member and a member of the community,” they said. “Having him here gave me some comfort and security.”
Other community members raised concerns about the response times.
“It depends on how many calls to service we have. There will be times when there are no police available.
“The more remote you are, the harder it is,” Supt Lamb explained.
The reshuffle was a worrying move for one older person who said that the previous police officer in the town had his finger on the pulse.
“He circulated throughout the town and spoke to people,” he said.
Supt Lamb urged anyone who had witnessed a crime to report it.
“If crime is reported then it can be recorded. In the past, police may not have taken the official action. But we want to hear about all crimes, to eradicate it and to help us make decisions,” he said.
Lang Lang resident Bob Comber read out a letter on behalf of Liberal Flinders MP Greg Hunt who urged residents to take action.
“This is a backwards step for our community,” he said.
Supt Lamb encouraged residents to write to Mr Hunt if they were unhappy.
He offered his contact details for residents who wanted to talk more about the restructure.
“Can we have your home number in case something happens?” one resident joked.
But another summed it up.
“It doesn’t give us a lot of confidence.”