Vandals strike at police By JON RALPH 13jun03
EIGHT police stations were spray-painted with swastikas in a vandalism rampage across Melbourne's eastern suburbs yesterday.
The unmanned stations were daubed with black, blue and grey paint. The word "losers" was also sprayed across the new Belgrave police station.
The fast-moving vandals attacked stations in Murrumbeena, Diamond Creek, Hurstbridge, Mount Waverley, Warrandyte, Ashburton and two at Belgrave in the early hours of the morning.
Police yesterday said they had no idea whether there was any motive for the vandalism. But security footage recorded at the new 24-hour Belgrave police station, which opens next week, might provide clues.
Inspector Denis Collins, of the North Eastern Region, said police had no firm leads yet.
"It makes me angry, like anyone else in the community that is subjected to graffiti, because it is a waste of time. It is a waste of money in clearing it up and for a senseless crime it is a waste of police time when we could be investigating a lot more important offences," he said.
Belgrave was the worst-hit suburb: paint was splashed on both its old and new stations as well as three police cars.
Belgrave Senior-Sergeant Doug Berglund said the old station was checked by police patrols early in the morning. The damage was discovered by a policeman on the early shift.
Mount Waverley Senior-Sergeant Peter Arnold said seven Nazi symbols were painted on the station's front brick wall.
"We have taken swabs of the paint and photographed it extensively," he said.
Insp Collins said that revenge was a possible motive for the vandals' attacks.
"We are investigating all possible angles," he said.
"At this stage we have no links to particular groups but we will look at all possibilities, including revenge.
"Police will be questioning nearby residents, and the newer station at Belgrave has security cameras, so we will be reviewing those tapes."
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