Local link to hoon havoc

BERWICK and Pakenham residents were among those arrested after police confronted a violent mob during a late night riot in Noble Park last week.
An illegal drag race meet at the intersection of Princes Highway and Elonera Road in Noble Park turned sour when police tried to disperse a crowd of more than 1000 onlookers at 1am Saturday. Rocks and bottles were thrown at police, who then called for reinforcements.
More than 50 police, and the dog squad, were called to the scene to control the crowd, with many described by police as “passive onlookers”.
Rioters then rampaged through a nearby video store, overturning shelves of DVDs and throwing products around the shop. Videos available on the Internet show one man dousing the store’s interior with a fire extinguisher.
Police arrested six people at the scene, including a 20yearold Pakenham man and 30yearold Berwick man.
They are expected to be charged by summons at a later date.
The City of Greater Dandenong and Victoria Police have responded to the riot with a hardline, zerotolerance approach. Police have vowed to catch up to 50 people believed to be rioting, and said they were working with the council on strategies to prevent the situation from recurring.
Superintendent Gavin Barry said the road would be resurfaced to prevent hoon behaviour, and that shorter parking times near Noble Park businesses could be introduced by the council, and enforced by patrolling police.
Greater Dandenong CEO John Bennie went as far to suggest that the Easternats – a legal burnout and drag racing competition held at Sandown raceway in Springvale – could be scrapped when its permit was due for renewal.