Arabic version: تجدد الدعوات إلى كاميرات المراقبة بعد توجيه اتهامات على خلفية اعتداء في ستاول

According to ABC News, three teenage boys have been charged with robbery and assault after an alleged attack in Stawell, prompting renewed calls for CCTV cameras in the west Victorian town. A video circulating on social media appears to show a boy being attacked by several teenagers near the intersection of Wakeham and Doyle streets at about 5:45pm on October 5.

Police allege a group of teenagers assaulted a 15-year-old boy and stole his shoes and clothes before leaving on foot. The boy was taken to hospital for treatment and has since been released. Detectives arrested two 15-year-olds and a 14-year-old on Tuesday, charging them with affray, robbery, recklessly causing injury and theft. They are due to appear in children’s court at a later date. Police said their investigation remained ongoing and that more arrests were expected.

The incident has added to months of pressure on Northern Grampians Shire Council to install cameras in police-identified crime hotspots. The council had previously declined to install CCTV because of privacy concerns, although it already uses cameras outside council workplaces. Mayor Karen Hyslop said the shire had examined financial and privacy issues, and said purchasing, installing and maintaining cameras across hotspots would require hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Cr Hyslop said the council’s policy had not changed “for now”, though priorities could be re-evaluated. She said the council took community safety seriously and viewed it as a shared responsibility with organisations including Victoria Police. Resident Jessica Lees, who helped run an online survey earlier this year supporting cameras on the main street, sports fields and skate park, said more than 300 people responded. She urged the council to consider a state government CCTV grant of up to $250,000. Cr Hyslop said no formal grant application had been considered at this stage.

Police Superintendent Dan Davison said police understood community concern and would increase patrols in Stawell. He described the alleged attack as an isolated incident and said violence would not be accepted in the community.