An Altona Meadows woman says she’s considering moving after being a victim of crime twice in three days.
Other residents are thinking about forming night patrols because of “ongoing troubles”.
The woman, who asked not to be named, said she was the victim of road rage on Sunday, May 1, while driving to the local shopping centre in the middle of the day.
Two days later, she was threatened with a pair of scissors at the shops after breaking up a fight.
“I really think Altona Meadows is changing. I’ve lived here for 27 years. I said to my husband, ‘We need to move’.”
In the road rage incident, she was driving with her 17-year-old daughter in Central Avenue when a car pulled in front of her, blocking her path.
“A car sped up behind me … I checked my speedo and I was doing the right speed,” she said. “I just stayed there.
“This car went in front of me, no blinker … my daughter saw it out of her eye and leaned over and tapped on the horn, just a little beep, because she was scared.
“He stopped in front of me … he got out of his car, walked up to my windscreen on the driver’s side, slammed my windscreen and swore, and all that sort of stuff.”
Two days later, the woman was heading back to her car in a local shopping centre carpark when she witnessed a fight between two youths.
“This older kid was punching the younger kid in the head, full-fisted, so I put my trolley between them,” she said. “I said, ‘Stop, stop hurting him, you need to stop’.
“But it ended up that that kid was part of a little group of four … they went to the outside door and stood there watching me … the bigger kid pulled a pair of scissors part-way out of his pocket so I could see them.
“I really think Altona Meadows is changing. I’ve lived here for 27 years. I said to my husband, ‘We need to move’.”
Citizen patrols
Another Altona Meadows resident said he was compiling a list of streets most hit by crime to plan routes for a neighbourhood patrol to drive around and keep an eye out.
“It shouldn’t be our job to risk ourselves, but unfortunately that’s what it’s come down to,” he said.
Hobsons Bay police’s Inspector Michelle Young said there had been no significant rise in crime in Altona Meadows.
“There are sometimes incidents whereby perceptions about safety may be adversely effected, but this doesn’t indicate rises,” she said.
