Concern on PSO use of pepper spray

TRANSPORT Protective Services Officers are under fire for describing pepper spray as "party packs" after using them to subdue a passenger during a routine ticket inspection.

The confrontation also sparked calls for tighter controls on PSOs after station staff suffered nausea, coughing, sneezing and sore throats.

An unidentified Broadmeadows man, 22, was sprayed, arrested and handcuffed after swearing and throwing his ticket in the air when approached.

He was released after being treated for the effects of the spray and told he would be fined for littering and offensive behaviour, but was not charged for failing to have a valid ticket.

"This is no joke, and certainly no party," Greens MP Greg Barber said.

"Guns, batons and pepper spray are all potentially deadly weapons. PSOs need to be trained on how to de-escalate situations, not make them worse. I don't want to see someone die over a 10-buck train ticket."

Mr Barber questioned whether PSOs working in enclosed and often crowded stations should be armed with pepper spray.

"We've now got police, PSOs, ticket inspectors, private security and station staff all responsible for keeping the peace," he said.

"What we really need is to staff every station and tram, to sell and check tickets, and just generally keep an eye on things. You don't need two guys armed with deadly weapons to deal with 99 per cent of the issues we see on public transport."

The PSOs' patrol duty sheets, released under Freedom of Information, say the man got off a train with his bicycle at Broadmeadows about 5.30pm on Christmas Eve when asked for his ticket.

The PSOs said the man became aggressive, throwing his pushbike on the floor and a "white piece of paper" in the air before picking up his bike and walking off. After ignoring requests to stop, the man allegedly again threw down his bike and walked aggressively towards the PSOs.

"PSO Singh then took the party pack out" - a large canister of OC (Oleoresin Capsicum) foam - and tried to spray the man, but missed due the wind. His partner, PSO Tuddin, then sprayed the man in the face.

Police spokeswoman Lisa Beechey said the PSOs had responded appropriately and the repeated reference to "party pack" had later been corrected by a supervisor.

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