By ANEEKA SIMONIS
THE NAMES of family violence perpetrators arrested or charged over alleged abuses in the municipality each month are clearly marked on a whiteboard within Cardinia’s Family Violence Unit.
They glare down at police, responsible for alleged perpetrators’ arrests, acting as an ongoing reminder for the important work they do protecting victims as they all the while take fresh calls from victims seeking the same safety.
More than a dozen men’s names were marked in black on the board during the Gazette’s briefing with the unit on Monday 14 May, with notes indicating the assessed risk level of each alleged abuser.
A Pakenham man arrested by police on Wednesday 4 May was deemed a high-risk offender – resulting in his remand before fronting court under the region’s ‘fast-tracker’ court processing system.
The system, in addition to the unit’s pro-arrest, pro-remand policy, sees remanded offenders brought before the court at the earliest possible time while bailed offenders will be summoned within seven days of arrest.
And it’s making a significant difference on reported abuse rates, which have reduced by about 50 per cent in the last three months.
Cardinia Family Violence Unit Officer in Charge Sergeant Richard Dawson said: “This ensures that the offenders are being made accountable in quick timeframes allowing the victim to not have to deal with drawn out court appearances. We see this as having a direct effect on offender behaviour.”
But the accelerated court processing system isn’t the only factor driving down the crime.
Sgt Dawson said double the number of officers were put on the target offenders, mostly recidivist, six months earlier and all units are now made to comply with stricter bail policies.
Under Section 4 of the Bail Act, police have to conduct more thorough background checks into charged offenders – and any grant for bail will have to be approved by a senior police officer.
The bail conditions take a closer look at the 10-year history of the offender – which includes convictions for assaults or violent threats – in a bid to better protect victims, particularly those caring for children.
Repeat offenders are the unit’s greatest focus.
Cardinia’s High Risk Victim Liaison Officer Senior Constable Steve Raciti said patrols were regularly tasked with carrying out compliance checks.
He identified Sunday afternoon as a problem-time for at-risk victims, highlighting children and custody issues as a top cause.
Reports can be made to the Cardinia Family Violence Unit on 5945 2500.
Alternatively, anyone experiencing family violence can phone the safe steps 24/7 Family Violence Response Centre on 1800 015 188 or 1800 RESPECT.
