Each weeknight, a Sunbury teenager visits Sunbury Railway Station to meet and spend time with protective service officers (PSOs).
A routine for many years, mother Sen Ostanin said that her son Ben Ostanin, a student of Sunbury and Macedon Ranges Specialist School, has now become non-fearful of PSOs, and that both he and the officers have gained a lot from their interactions.
Sen said the recurring catch up started as a way for Ben to become familiarised with PSOs, and for the PSOs and other members of the Sunbury Police Station to know and be able to recognise him if he was ever found lost in the area.
She said the interactions have helped her son to “not see the PSOs as a threat but a form of resource.”
“As soon as they see my car, they’re there to say ‘Hi, Ben!’ and fist bump him,” Sen said.
The interactions started with the help of Sunbury protective service office Nyssa Jewell, who said that she has liaised with the Sunbury Police Station to organise other activities for Ben.
This included a tour of an alcohol and drug testing bus for the teenager, with the aim of helping him to become non-fearful as a passenger when the driver is stopped for testing.
Nyssa said the station also organised a police vehicle ride aimed at helping Ben become familiarised with the environment and to reduce anxiety if he ever needed to be picked up in an emergency.
She said she and another PSO accompanied Ben and his mother for a short train trip last month, assisting with the commute.
“I’m a mum too, so when [Sen] comes to me and … she wants to take him on a train but she’s worried … and she doesn’t know what’s going to happen – I would feel safer too if somebody came with me. So that’s how we ended up doing that,” Nyssa said.
She said working at Sunbury station has allowed her to meet many regular train commuters, and encouraged residents to talk to PSOs if they ever need assistance or just feel like having a conversation.
