Tuesday 11th October 2016
Mr WALSH (Murray Plains) – The crime wave and law and order crisis that is spreading right across Victoria is not just a Melbourne issue. I draw the house’s attention to the small town of Lockington where the Pentreath’s Foodworks business had a staff member the baker held early in the morning at crossbow point and tied up while the shop was robbed. That was in May. That particular business also had a break and enter on 25 September. The front window was broken again after another break and enter on 2 October and an attempt to break through the door occurred on 3 October. Leanne Pentreath who is a partner in that business has told me that for the last week they have had to sleep overnight at their business. They have now replaced the front sliding door and the three front windows that were damaged in the previous break and enters.
Worse still the thieves took the keys to their motor vehicles out of their office they stole cash cigarettes and much more and they trashed the office. They pulled all the drawers out and threw their paperwork all over the office. It was more than just a robbery; it was also a trashing of their shop. Leanne says that the worst part is knowing that they are going to come back.
There is only one police vehicle in the Campaspe shire to cover Echuca Kyabram Tongala Rochester Rushworth and Stanhope after 11.00 p.m. There has been a 20 per cent increase in crime in the Shire of Campaspe and there is only one police car at night.