Plan to stop hooligans

By Dion Teasdale
A RAFT of measures will be trialed over the coming month to tackle the anti-social behaviour of late-night hooligans in Healesville.
The measures include installing a new taxi pick-up point with revamped security and operating a late-night ‘tuck shop’ outside the Terminus Hotel on Harker Street, and increasing police presence in the town.
The measures are in response to an ongoing problem with patrons from the Terminus Hotel, and revellers from private parties, congregating at the Coles Express service station on Maroondah Highway in the early hours of weekend mornings.
The issue came into the spotlight earlier this month after police were forced to use capsicum spray to disperse a group of about 15 young people gathered outside the service station in the early hours of Sunday, 23 April.
The trial of new transport and security measures was agreed upon at a meeting between Healesville police, the operators of the Coles Express Service station, and management of the Terminus Hotel and Yarra Valley Taxis.
Healesville police Sergeant Tony Van Gorp said he was confident that the measures would address the security and transport problems.
“Yarra Valley Taxis have agreed to relocate their taxi collection point to the Terminus Hotel bottleshop driveway, and the hotel will provide extra security staff and security cameras,” he said.
“This will work with the Terminus Hotel also providing a tuck shop outside the venue at closing time so patrons can purchase food and water.
“There will also be an increase in police in Healesville between 3am and 4am on weekends so police can monitor the behaviour of people in the area.”
Sgt Van Gorp said the idea behind relocating the taxi pick-up point and operating a tuck shop at the hotel was to keep hotel patrons in the vicinity of hotel.
“I believe this is an important first step in trying to alleviate the congregation of people around the service station,” Sgt Van Gorp said. “These measures will be reassessed in a month and further steps will be implemented if feedback shows that more needs to be done.”
Sgt Van Gorp said Yarra Valley Taxis had agreed to increase the number of taxis available in Healesville to better accommodate transportation of hotel patrons at closing time.
Yarra Valley Taxis manager Christian Steele, who was previously reluctant to relocate the taxi pick-up point due to fears for driver safety, said he was pleased with the measures.
“We feel happy with the new security arrangements at the hotel and feel confident that patrons will respond positively to the changes,” he said.