A new report shows protective service officers (PSOs) make travellers feel safer on public transport, although the transport users group says many people are wary of the armed guards themselves.
The Protective Services Officers Research Report, conducted by independent group DBM Consultants and released by Public Transport Victoria, compared commuter safety perception in June last year with June this year.
Commuters were interviewed about safety both on trains and at Epping, Yarraville, Frankston, Noble Park, South Yarra and Box Hill railway stations.
The study found the number of users who felt ‘‘extremely unsafe’’ during weekday evenings halved from 2012 to 2013.
Those who felt ‘‘extremely unsafe’’ late on weekday nights fell from 15 per cent to 10 per cent in the same period.
Overall, the study found night-time safety perceptions improved across the board.
Public Transports Users Association president Tony Morton said his group had received similar positive feedback, saying travellers felt safer in the presence of PSOs after dark.
But he said the positive feedback was “by no means universal” and his group had received reports of PSOs being “heavy-handed”.
“There’s also a fair bit of negative feeling about PSOs being armed,” he said. “And a fair bit of ambivalence about the ‘Baillieu box’ holding cells that have been plonked on the stations recently.”
Northern Metropolitan Region Greens MP Greg Barber released CCTV footage on October 21 of PSOs apparently spraying an unarmed man with capsicum spray at Broadmeadows station last December.
He said the footage indicated a problem with PSO training, although Victorian Police Union secretary Greg Davies denied that claim.
Mr Morton said PSO resources could be better used with a higher presence at known trouble spots, and safer stations would be better served by unarmed regular platform staff without an explicit policing role.
The DBM report outlined that 46 per cent of people felt “extremely unsafe” between 10pm and 2am, Friday to Sunday this year. That compared with 47 per cent the year before.
Mr Morton said commuters were likely to encounter drunken and violent people during the late-night period.
“This is where PSO resources can be better focused, rather than on relatively safe stations on weeknights,” he said.
Police and Emergency Services Minister Kim Wells said 488 PSOs had been deployed at 79 stations across Melbourne from 6pm until after the last train every night.
He said the state government had committed to deploying 940 PSOs as part of its $212 million investment.
PSOs have issued more than 12,000 infringement notices to people over a number of offences, including being drunk in a public place, possessing alcohol, daubing graffiti and possessing weapons.
“PSOs will keep commuters safe by patrolling platforms, car parks and surrounds to prevent anti-social behaviour, property damage and alcohol and transport-related crime,” Mr Wells said.
A Victoria Police spokeswoman said PSOs received the same firearms and defensive training as police, including a 12-week training program on operational safety and tactics. PSOs remain on a 12-month probation period when they graduate from the Victoria Police Academy.
