Bus guards ‘bashed’

By Michelle Herbison
A BASHING that put a security officer in hospital is typical of attacks on staff working around central Geelong’s bus interchange, according to their boss.
Hume Protection Group chief executive officer Rocky Pirrottina said his staff had to “deal with” violence regularly at the interchange.
“This kind of thing has happened heaps of times,” Mr Pirrottina said.
“There are a couple of rowdy kids you’ve got to deal with and you get a lot of pushes and shoves.”
Mr Pirrottina said a 17-year-old head-butted the officer in the attack last Friday afternoon.
The officer was injured after asking the teen to stop drinking alcohol in public.
The officer went to hospital after the attack and spent “a couple of days off work”, Mr Pirrottina said.
He wanted the teen charged to “teach him a lesson”.
“They have the attitude ‘You can’t do anything to us, we’re only minors’, so they push you around.
“I want to know who’s responsible for them. Their parents should be fined.”
Mr Pirrottina said his staff were also “customer-service representatives” rather than traditional security workers.
“It’s not like the old days when we had meathead bouncers, we’re trying to change that image. We deal with people differently.”
The latest assault followed reports in the Independent over the past two months on concerns about safety at the interchange.
The paper revealed in late September that an unnamed security guard had witnessed children as young as 10 begging for money and fighting.
Geelong councillor Andy Richards said council had heard State Government would stop funding the safety officers.
“These officers were put there to assist bus patrons and it’s important we help people with public transport. I’d like to see State Government continue to fund the officers for at least another six months.”
Cr Richards said the Government was responsible for security at the interchange.
A Department of Transport spokesperson said “customer service staff” would remain at the interchange until “improved signage” was installed.
“The Department of Transport has committed to continuing funding for customer service staff at Moorabool St bus interchange,” the spokesperson said.