New chief on the beat

By Tania Martin
THE new district inspector covering the Shire of Yarra Ranges, Peter Lardner, has praised the work of local police saying that the shire was a very safe place for people to live in.
Inspector Lardner said that the former inspector, Mick Beattie, and the local police had done excellent work in recent years which was clearly indicated by the low crime figures for the shire.
He said this was something he wanted to make sure was able to continue.
Inspector Lardner joins the Yarra Ranges team following work on a project team last year which reviewed how Victoria Police delivers services to local communities.
He said the review resulted in the development of a new police management approach that attempts to allow local police greater flexibility in resolving local problems in a manner that is most appropriate to the local needs.
Inspector Lardner has taken on many roles during his time as a police officer, including working in rural communities such as Portland and Ararat, and as a Sergeant at Broadmeadows.
He was also a Detective at the Child Exploitation Squad and at local Criminal Investigations Unit, as well as being a Detective Sergeant at the Arson Squad, and after an assignment at the Homicide Squad, led a 12-month murder investigation into the 1998 car bombing at Coburg.
Inspector Lardner has also worked in corporate areas of Victoria Police, such as the Corporate Management Review Division where he was responsible for risk management processes and conducted reviews of how different areas within the organisation are operated.
He said he aims to closely monitor the policing needs of the people in the Shire of Yarra Ranges.
Inspector Lardner said he would also be working with other government and non-government agencies and the community itself in an attempt to resolve emerging problems.
He said he also wants to ensure that the current high level of safety within the shire is sustained.
“Yarra Ranges is a very safe shire and clearly a great environment within which to live, something I want to ensure is maintained,” he said.