Thursday 2 February 2006

Acting Transport Minister Tony Kelly congratulated the transit officers involved in apprehending the two teenage females overnight alleged to be involved in the death of taxi driver Mr Youbert Hormozi.

Mr Kelly said four transit officers at Strathfield Station were alerted to the two alleged offenders by RailCorp staff who reported they were carrying knives and allegedly robbing people at knifepoint.

"Our transit officers did a fantastic job they confronted these two alleged suspects with their batons drawn and disarmed them," Mr Kelly said.

"Police were notified and arrived at the scene and took the two females into custody," Mr Kelly said.

"Thanks to the great work of our transit officers these two people have now been apprehended and police can continue their investigations into the vicious bashing death of Mr Hormozi."

Mr Kelly said the 600-strong transit officer force had been critical in driving down crime on the railways since they were introduced in 2002.

"Official independent statistics show crime on the railways fell by 31 per cent in the three years between 2002 and 2005," Mr Kelly said.

"CityRail is now safer for passengers and railway staff because of the hard work of our transit officers and the events overnight show how effective they are," he said.

Mr Kelly said Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research figures showed:

• a 46 per cent reduction in robberies;
• a 44 per cent reduction in stealing; and
• a 10 per cent reduction in assaults.

"The community is now safer since the introduction of our 600 transit officers and I congratulate the officers involved in apprehending these alleged suspects," Mr Kelly said.