IMMEDIATELY implement a zero tolerance policy against hoon drivers and crush their cars after the first offence.
That was the strong message about 90 residents gave to Frankston Council, police and politicians at a lively public meeting on hoon driving at Frankston Arts Centre last Tuesday night.
Towards the end of the meeting, Cr Glenn Aitken, who had called the event, asked those who believed the cars of hoon drivers should be crushed to raise their hand. Almost every hand immediately went into the air.
There was agreement that the present penalties were inadequate, that hoons had no regard for the law and the court system was too soft in handing out penalties (see panel opposite page).
Residents said they were uneasy lying in bed at night listening to hoons gunning their car engines, wondering if and when one of the vehicles would come into the house - as often happens, particularly in the Seaford area.
Deputy mayor Sandra Mayer said children could not play in front of their homes in her Langwarrin street and she worried her young son wouldn't make it home from school.
Another mother, Mandy Robinson, said she held fears for her 10-year-old daughter while hoons were outside. Repeat offenders were still using her Seaford street for burnouts and racing and they thought speed humps "were fun", Ms Robinson said.
When she recently learnt she lived in the same street as Cr Aitken she paid him a visit, the result of which was last Tuesday's meeting. Cr Aitken mentioned many of these issues in his opening address.
He said Australian Bureau of Statistics figures released in February showed that nationwide the public's highest law and order concerns were vehicle noise and dangerous driving.
He described hoons as "arrogant people who have taken control of our lives". "They have a mongrel mentality and must be stopped. We should send a loud message on behalf of the millions of Australians for the authorities to do something and have tougher penalties to end this arrogant madness on the roads."
Those present represented a range of ages and backgrounds and residents who spoke were from across the municipality.
Also present at the meeting were state MPs Geoff Shaw (Frankston), Neale Burgess (Hastings), Donna Bauer (Carrum) and Jude Perera (Cranbourne) and Dunkley federal MP Bruce
Billson.
Cr Aitken told them they had not been invited to address the meeting or ask questions. They were there to sit and listen to what the people had to say. Later, when Mr Burgess tried to speak he was ordered to sit down by meeting chairman Cr Colin Hampton, but the councillors relented and gave the politicians a chance to speak when the public had finished.
Inspector Jeff Millar of Frankston police urged people to call the Hoon Hotline on 1800664666 - "we look at every report. We will let you know what happens". Inspector Millar said the more information that was provided, the better the chances were for a result. From the audience, Graham, a bail justice of Langwarrin, said that every day hoons were "burning" around off road around former quarry sites and that sometimes they literally caused fires. Current penalties were not enough, he said.
"For hoons, having their car impounded for 48 hours is like a badge of honour."
When a Karingal resident said one of his neighbours "religiously every Thursday night" changed the rear wheels of his car, removed his registration plates and headed off into the night, Inspector Millar looked most interested.
After the show of hands, the council said it would have a meeting to discuss the wording of a submission to the state government to toughen anti-hoon legislation.
Earlier, the council revealed a draft list of penalties which, Mr Burgess pointed out, were in fact more lenient than those proposed in new anti-hoon laws that will be introduced by the new government.
Speaking after the meeting, Mr Shaw said he was disappointed the council had not referred to the new government's anti-hoon policy, which was tougher than its predecessor's, and that invited politicians were originally "gagged" at the meeting.
While Mr Shaw stressed that relations between himself and the council remained positive, he said he would tell mayor Kris Bolam: "It's great having these sort of meetings but before anything goes public we need to discuss it between ourselves and go through that joint response rather than a confusing single voice from the council.
"When you're uninformed about what the current government wants to do, it's a little bit of a farce."
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