community safety and crime prevention plan 2014 - 2017 · 2014. 7. 21. · city of gosnells...

COMMUNITY SAFETY

AND

CRIME PREVENTION PLAN

2014 - 2017

City of Gosnells Community Safety and Crime Prevention Plan, 2014 - 2017

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CONTENTS

1. BACKGROUND ..................................................................................................................... 2

2. PURPOSE .............................................................................................................................. 2

3. CONSULTATION AND DEVELOPMENT ............................................................................... 3

3.1 Developing the Plan ....................................................................................................... 3

3.2 Consultation Methods .................................................................................................... 3

4. KEY FINDINGS ...................................................................................................................... 4

4.1 Feedback from Surveys and Consultation ...................................................................... 4

4.2 2012/13 Community Crime Trends ................................................................................. 4

4.3 Fear of Crime ................................................................................................................. 5

4.4 Focus Areas/Issues ........................................................................................................ 5

5. A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH ........................................................................................ 6

6. REVIEW AND EVALUATION ................................................................................................. 7

7. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................................... 7

8. IMPLEMENTATION PLAN ..................................................................................................... 8

APPENDICES

Appendix 1: Community Safety Survey Results .................................................................... 20


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1. BACKGROUND

The City of Gosnells recognises that while law and order and crime prevention is primarily the role of State Government, the WA Police Business Plan 2011-2012 also states that “Frontline Policing is impacted by societal issues which cut across our core roles, and have the greatest impact on the community.” The City understands this, and further acknowledges that as the tier of Government closest to the community; influencing many of the things that matter to how people live, Local Governments are well placed to assist in addressing issues of community safety and crime prevention. With this in mind, the City of Gosnells is committed to making the community a safer place in which to live, work and recreate. It recognises that community safety and crime prevention cannot be addressed by any single agency or organisation, and that to succeed, the community as a whole, including Council, residents, local businesses, State Government and Non-Government agencies must be involved. The City also believes that public perceptions of community safety and crime are just as important as crime statistics and trends, and that feeling safe is a basic right for all community members. Since 2001 the City of Gosnells has worked in partnership with WA Police Strategic Crime Prevention (formerly the Office of Crime Prevention) as part of the State Government initiatives for improving community safety and reducing crime. This partnership has seen the development and delivery of a number of programs and initiatives which have helped make the community a safer and more welcoming place for all. The 2010 – 2013 Community Safety and Crime Prevention Plan recognised the work the City of Gosnells had done in the past in regards to community safety and security, and identified the issues that needed to be addressed. The plan also reinforced the partnership approach that needed to be taken to find solutions to the issues. Going forward, the City will continue to work in partnership with other key stakeholders to implement its 2014 – 2017 Community Safety and Crime Prevention Plan; addressing key community safety and crime prevention concerns identified by the community.

2. PURPOSE The purpose of the City of Gosnells Community Safety and Crime Prevention Plan is to guide the actions of the City and it’s Community Safety partners over the next three years to improve community safety and reduce crime within the City of Gosnells. The activities in the plan will be informed by:

Considering the results of the Community Safety Survey carried out in late 2013 which reviewed the community safety and crime prevention priorities from a community perspective;

Considering current local crime statistics and trends; and

Reflecting on the goals of the City’s 10 year Community Plan to ensure that the goals of the Community Safety and Crime Prevention Plan align with the overarching goals of the Community Plan to make our community a safer place.

The City of Gosnells Community Safety and Crime Prevention Plan will deliver relevant activities, programs and projects designed to tackle community priorities, current crime trends and to achieve the goal of the Community Plan.


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3. CONSULTATION AND DEVELOPMENT

3.1 Developing the Plan The Community Safety and Crime Prevention Plan 2014-17 was developed by the City of Gosnells’ Safe City team, in consultation with:

Elected Members of the City of Gosnells Council;

WA Police; and

Community representatives.

This collaborative approach enabled Safe City to develop a comprehensive plan which addresses prominent and relevant community safety issues within the Gosnells area. In addition to the valuable knowledge and insight gained from community and stakeholder consultation, Safe City also utilised a number of key strengths and regular activities which ensure it is well-placed to adequately plan and facilitate community safety and crime prevention initiatives in the Gosnells community. These include:

Sound demographic knowledge of the community (socio-economic profile, diversity in age range, ethnicity, ability, mobility, family structure, education and housing etc);

Strategic and tactical (operational) knowledge of the City and its environment;

Analysis of the City’s crime trends (2012/13), using information provided by the WA Police Strategic Crime Prevention;

Analysis of crime statistics obtained from WA Police;

Assessment of specific locations and issues of primary concern;

Demonstrated previous experience in developing and facilitating interventions and solutions; and

Ongoing evaluation and adjustment of initiatives to achieve successful outcomes.

3.2 Consultation methods

The City conducted a Community Safety Survey in late 2013, which allowed the community to have input into a City-wide assessment of crime and safety. Respondents were asked a series of questions encouraging them to indicate how they felt in regards to levels of crime, contributing factors and possible solutions, as well as what they considered to be priority focus areas for crime prevention. The survey was advertised in local newspapers and survey forms were also sent via reply paid mail to 50 randomly selected addresses in each suburb. The survey was available in all public City facilities and each facility had a collection box provided. The community survey was also available for completion electronically on the City’s website. To ensure input from people with non-English speaking backgrounds, William Langford Community House (formerly Boogurlarri Community House) assisted clients to complete the survey. Langford Aboriginal Association also encouraged Indigenous community members to participate in the survey. In total, 1800 forms were distributed/available and accessible online. The total number of responses was 878; and the main findings are published below (Section 4 and Appendix 1).

In addition, anecdotal customer service feedback relating to community safety and crime prevention was considered when developing this plan.


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4. KEY FINDINGS 4.1 Feedback from surveys and consultation

Through its consultation and survey processes, the City determined the following:

Home burglary, anti-social driver behaviour (hooning) and motor vehicle theft, were the greatest areas of priority that needed addressing.

Anti-social behaviour and drug dealing/taking also came across as high-priority issues.

The longer people lived in an area the more they thought crime had become a problem.

The main places that people felt unsafe included train stations, shopping centres and in general areas after dark.

The community believed that to improve community safety, there needed to be more police and strengthening of law enforcement or penalties.

Reducing the number of young people hanging around, strengthening relationships between people in neighbourhoods, improvements in lighting, and raising community awareness of crime prevention and community safety were also suggested as ways to improve community safety.

Many respondents attributed increases in crime to a lack of Police presence, resultant effects of drug and alcohol misuse within the community and a perceived lack of deterrent.

4.2 2012/13 Community Crime Trends

In developing the Community Safety and Crime Prevention Plan, the City was guided by data obtained from WA Police Strategic Crime Prevention. Recorded City of Gosnells crime statistics from 2008 to 2013 are shown below.

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500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

City of Gosnells Crime Statistics

2008-09

2009-10

2010-11

2011-12

2012-13


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City of Gosnells Crime Statistics

Year (Financial) (Reported) 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13

Dwelling Burglary 1231 1245 1568 1478 1628

Non-Dwelling Burglary 600 312 346 450 489

Motor Vehicle Theft 377 370 444 440 473

Theft 3302 2653 3188 3633 3635

Damage (Property) 2481 1976 1740 1747 1868

Drugs (Traffic) 209 155 106 117 122

Drugs (Possess) 924 689 537 624 625

City wide, offences recorded by WA Police show that graffiti (damage to property), theft and dwelling burglary are high volume crime areas. This is also demonstrated in the community safety survey feedback. However, the most recent crime data shows that graffiti has reduced significantly. These crime statistics also show a decrease in most of the categories. Please note that these statistics do not take into account population growth (which is even more encouraging). For further information visit the WA Police Strategic Crime Prevention website at www.communitysafety.police.wa.gov.au

4.3 Fear of Crime

Over the years Safe City staff at the City of Gosnells have determined, through anecdotal feedback and conversations with members of the community and the Police, that the fear of crime remains an issue of public concern. It has a negative impact on individuals and communities: detracting from quality of life and adversely impacting on social and economic well-being. Sometimes the fear people have is well-founded, but often the actual risk is less than perceived. The Community Safety Survey asked people how safe they felt living or working in the City of Gosnells and the results confirmed that many people in the community have a heightened fear of crime. 38% of respondents stated that they felt somewhat unsafe, unsafe or very unsafe, compared with just 34% who felt somewhat safe, safe or very safe. It is important that people feel safe in the City of Gosnells, so that they can enjoy the amenities the City has to offer and so that visitors and investors are attracted to the area. For this reason the City believes that, in addition to reducing actual crime, reducing the fear of crime is a priority area for community safety and crime prevention planning.

4.4 Focus areas / issues

Taking into account survey and consultation results, as well as the analysis of community crime trends and other anecdotal feedback, the City of Gosnells has identified the following key focus areas / issues for Community Safety and Crime Prevention:

Reducing the fear of crime;

Home burglary;


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Damage to property;

Theft;

Anti-social behaviour;

Anti-social driver behaviour;

Improving lighting; and

Loitering.

Note: These focus areas / issues are based upon findings from the City’s consultation processes. However, the City’s community safety and crime prevention activities will not necessarily be limited to these issues / areas. The Safe City team will continue to liaise with key stakeholders and community members to monitor and address any issues which emerge over time.

The City also acknowledges that increasing the number of Police was stated as the top priority in the Community Safety Survey. The City has no authority to influence Police numbers, however, it is supportive of Frontline 2020; the new Local Policing model introduced in the South East Metro Area in November 2013. Frontline 2020 has seen Police Officer numbers increase and aims to provide closer interaction between the Police and the community to tackle crime together.

5. A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH

As previously stated, community safety and crime prevention activity is dependent upon participation and input by the community and a range of other stakeholders. The City’s scope of collaboration includes:

Council and Administration;

State Government bodies (E.g. WA Police Strategic Crime Prevention, WA Police, Department of Fire & Emergency Services, Department of Housing);

Co-agencies Working and Technical Reference Groups;

Young through to Senior persons;

Families;

Local schools;

Businesses;

Media, particularly local;

Other ethnic groups;

People with disability; and

The community.

Working in collaboration with these stakeholders will enable the City of Gosnells to plan and implement crime prevention and safety initiatives which involve the community, respond to community concerns and assist in building community capacity. Section 8 (Implementation Plan) details the programs and projects the City of Gosnells will undertake in partnership with a range of stakeholders in order to address the key focus areas and issues outlined previously. The City of Gosnells is also committed to communication with the public and stakeholders about ongoing community safety and crime prevention initiatives. A full page insert called “LIFE in your City” features in both local papers on a bi-weekly timeframe. This is used to promote programs


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that are contained within the plan, along with other local content. In addition, the City uses eWATCH (an electronic subscription service) to keep the community informed about crime and community safety information. To find out more about eWatch, or to subscribe, please visit the following web link City of Gosnells - eWATCH or telephone Safe City on 9391 6022.

6. REVIEW AND EVALUATION

The Community Safety and Crime Prevention Plan is a working document that will be reviewed annually to enable reprioritisation of issues in response to community needs. All programs will be evaluated each year to ensure appropriate and efficient allocation of Council resources. The City will ensure that up-to-date information is taken into account when reviewing the plan, by maintaining regular and ongoing contact with the community, the State Government and non-government agencies. The close relationship between Safe City and local Police will also ensure that emerging trends are identified and initiatives developed where the City has the capacity to assist. The City of Gosnells Safe City Initiative is staffed by three full time staff and one part time officer. These staff are involved in many community safety and crime prevention projects, and maintain close links with the community through workshops, presentations and daily correspondence. The City will use further community analysis of crime trends to monitor recorded crime changes and will assist in refocussing priorities where needed. Every two years the City conducts a customer satisfaction and community safety survey, which will be used to measure changes in community perceptions of crime in the Gosnells area.

7. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The City of Gosnells acknowledges the assistance and support of everyone involved in developing the Community Safety and Crime Prevention Plan 2014 – 2017, and in delivering its programs. Special thanks are extended to:

City of Gosnells Councillors and Staff;

WA Police Strategic Crime Prevention;

Gosnells Police Station;

Canning Vale Police Station;

South East Metropolitan Crime Prevention and Diversity Unit; and most importantly;

The residents of the City of Gosnells who contributed in the consultation phase.

http://www.gosnells.wa.gov.au/Your_property/Community_safety/Safe_City_initiative/eWATCH


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8. IMPLEMENTATION PLAN The City’s Community Safety and Crime Prevention programs are centred around four key goals which were originally developed by the State Government’s Office of Crime Prevention (now Strategic Crime Prevention). These goals are outlined in the top of each section in the following table. In addition, these goals also align to the outcomes and objectives of the City of Gosnells 10 Year Community Plan, (available on the City’s website www.gosnells.wa.gov.au). This alignment is demonstrated in the column titled “CITY OF GOSNELLS COMMUNITY PLAN OUTCOME AREA”. Community Safety and Crime Prevention programs will be prioritised to address and reflect priority issues identified by the community, as well as those issues supported by statistical representation or research. For the years 2014 – 2017, most programs will focus on perception and fear of crime, burglary reduction, anti-social behaviour, graffiti and youth development/mentoring.

GOAL ONE – SUPPORTING FAMILIES, CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION RESPONSIBILITY TIMEFRAME CITY OF GOSNELLS COMMUNITY PLAN OUTCOME AREA

FOCUS AREA / ISSUE

EVALUATION / MEASURE

Safe City Awards

Three awards to recognise community involvement in crime prevention and community safety. Three awards:

Constable Peter Ball Memorial Youth Award

Community Initiative Award

Community Kids Award

COG (Lead) Examiner Newspapers Community participants

January to October – Open to applications and seek nominations. November – Judging of applications. January – Award presented.

2 - Promote a Proud and Harmonious Community

Provide or facilitate suitable events and activities which bring people together

3 - Provide Opportunities for All

Continue to promote and encourage volunteering

Reduce fear of crime

Home burglary

Damage to property

Theft

Anti-social behaviour

Anti-social driver behaviour

Improving lighting

Loitering

Number of applications per year

Constable Care

An early intervention program which delivers puppet shows to students at primary and secondary schools within the City to

Constable Care (Lead) COG Primary Schools

During school terms. 3 - Provide Opportunities for All

Continue to provide a range of services, programs

Damage to property

Antisocial behaviour

Number of schools and students presented to. Feedback reports

http://www.gosnells.wa.gov.au/


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increase awareness of protective behaviours.

and activities specifically designed for children and youth

from Constable Care.

Safety House

A community based child protection program which provides children with a safe place to go if they feel threatened or scared.

Safety House Association WA (Lead) COG Primary Schools

Annual – Affiliation begins in March of each year.

10 - Make our Community a Safer Place

Deliver community based safety programs in partnership with others



Loitering

Number of registered schools within the City.

Safe City School Education Program

A program which is provided free of charge to all primary and high schools within the City to help educate children about crime prevention.

COG (Lead) WAP Local Schools

February - letters sent to all schools in the City. Follow up by City of Gosnells throughout the year. Runs only during school terms.


Continue to provide a range of services, programs and activities specifically designed for children and youth

Damage to property


Number of presentations. Feedback from students and teachers.

Youth Advisory Council (YAC)

The City supports three (3) Youth Advisory Councils in Canning Vale, Southern River and Maddington. The YACs are diverse groups of young people which act as a voice for local youth issues. The groups also get involved in organising local events and activities.

COG, Office of Children and Youth Local schools (Lead)

During School terms. 3 - Provide Opportunities for All


Continue to promote and

Damage to property


Loitering

Number of young people participating in YACs. Evaluation is based on outcomes achieved to goals set at beginning of the year through consultation with young people.


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encourage volunteering

Juvenile Graffiti Clean-up Referral Program

The City of Gosnells is part of Juvenile Graffiti Clean-up Referral Program which gives young people the opportunity to come to the realisation that there are consequences to their behaviour and that they are responsible for their own actions. Through the program the City provides graffiti locations for clean up by young people participating in the program.

COG, WAP and JJT

Ongoing 1 - Enhance our Built Environment

Create an attractive and vibrant community




Damage to property


Number of graffiti removals and number of square metres cleaned.

Skate Park Users Groups

Aims to empower young people who use skate parks to take ownership and active participation in events at each park. Based on principles of harmony, tolerance and encouragement to the youth leading to a safer place for young people to be.

COG (Lead) Community members

Ongoing 3 - Provide Opportunities for All



Damage to property


Number of young people taking part in user groups. Number of events. Number of links into other programs by participants.

CRE8 Leadership Program

Aims to promote a strong focus on developing a sense of community, place, ownership and pride within the Maddington

COG (Lead) Community members WAP Maddington

Grant from WA Police Strategic Crime Prevention – funded from July 2013 to June 2014


Continue to provide a range of services, programs


Damage to property

Anti-social

Number of young people engaging with youth worker. Number of skate


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area.

Youth workers act as positive role model/mentors to develop a youth leadership group, with the intention of encouraging positive peer to peer mentoring and to engage youth in positive activities.

Primary School Maddington Village Shopping Centre

Mentoring sessions at the skate park 3 times weekly for three hours

and activities specifically designed for children and youth

behaviour park sessions. Number of links into other programs by participants.

GOAL TWO – STRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES AND NEIGHBOURHOODS PROGRAM PROJECT

DESCRIPTION RESPONSIBILITY TIMEFRAME COMMUNITY PLAN OUTCOME AREA

FOCUS AREA / ISSUE


Safe City Awards

Safe City Community Initiative Award targeted at community groups or associations within the City of Gosnells who make a contribution to safety or crime prevention.

COG (Lead) Examiner Newspapers Community Participants

January to October – Open to applications and seek nominations. November – Judging of applications. January – Award presented.






Home burglary

Damage to property

Theft



Improving lighting

Loitering

Number of applications per year.

Information and Community Education

The City of Gosnells through the Safe City Initiative supports cross agency initiatives which

Various Government, and Non-Government agencies

Ongoing 2 - Promote a Proud and Harmonious Community

Provide or


Home burglary

Damage to

Number of media releases. Number of


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strengthen communities and deal with community safety and crime prevention – minimum of three workshops per year. The City uses methods such as media releases and educational - information, workshops or other materials to help increase community awareness.

facilitate suitable events and activities which bring people together

property

Theft



Improving lighting

Loitering

information brochures available. Number of public events attended.

Neighbourhood Watch (NHW)

The City of Gosnells funds a Community Safety Project Officer to work with NHW volunteers and raise the profile of Neighbourhood Watch

COG WA Police GDNHW (Lead)

Ongoing subject to funding.




Home burglary

Damage to property

Theft



Improving lighting

Loitering

Increase in membership. Number of media articles relating to NHW. Number of events attended by NHW.

Eyes on the Street

The City of Gosnells is part of the Eyes on the Street program which encourages and enables its employees to report on suspicious activity to Police.

COG WA Police OCP (Lead)

Ongoing 10 - Make our Community a Safer Place



Home burglary

Damage to property

Theft


Anti-social

Number of reports forwarded by COG.


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driver behaviour

Improving lighting

Loitering

Home-grown Festival

A month long festival held annually, celebrating the arts, culture, music, family entertainment and the vibrancy of our community. Aimed at bringing our community together in a safe and enjoyable environment.

COG (Lead) GDNHW Community Organisations

Events conducted during February and March.



3 - Provide opportunities for all

Provide the community with opportunities to participate in diverse activities


Home burglary

Damage to property

Theft



Improving lighting

Loitering

Attendance numbers. Number of NHW registrations. Community surveys.

Seniors Program

Several programs including Home Safety Audits, Workshops / seminars and interactive events throughout the year. Provides Seniors with a greater sense of awareness in crime prevention and developed self-protecting behaviours.

COG(Lead), WAP DFES Australian Bankers Association RAC Insurance Thornlie Christian College Swan Transit PTA

Home Safety Audits run April to November and workshops/seminars are undertaken on a regular basis throughout the year, from February to October.

3 - Provide Opportunities for all

Continue to provide a range of services, programs and activities specifically designed for seniors



Home burglary

Damage to property

Theft



Improving lighting

Number of Home Safety Audits, workshops / seminars and special events undertaken. Number of sensor lights and smoke detectors installed. Evaluation feedback from participants.


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Loitering

Safer Seniors Carols by Candlelight

A Christmas Carols event specifically for the Seniors within the City of Gosnells. A safe and secure environment for Seniors living within the City of Gosnells and carers to enjoy social interaction and seasonal entertainment which may reduce their fear of crime.

COG (Lead) Local Business

December each year. 2 - Promote a Proud and Harmonious Community


3 - Provide Opportunities for all

Continue to provide a range of services, programs and activities specifically designed for seniors


Home burglary

Damage to property

Theft



Improving lighting

Loitering

Attendances. Feedback from participants.

Bright Lights Competition

To create a proud and harmonious community by encouraging local residents of the City of Gosnells to actively participate in decorating their properties in order to promote the Christmas Spirit and encourage cooperation between neighbours.

COG (Lead) Examiner Newspapers Centro Maddington

Yearly – Advertised last week in November and first week in December- Judging second / third week in December. Presentation night first week in February




Improving lighting

Number of houses and streets that enter. Feedback from the community.


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GOAL THREE – TARGETING PRIORITY OFFENCES

PROGRAM PROJECT

DESCRIPTION RESPONSIBILITY TIMEFRAME COMMUNITY

PLAN OUTCOME AREA

FOCUS AREA / ISSUE


Anti-Graffiti Campaign

The City has a zero tolerance approach with regards to graffiti. Graffiti is removed as soon as practicable after notification. In the case of racist or obscene graffiti it is removed as soon as possible. All graffiti offences on City property are reported to Police.

COG (Lead) WAP SCP

Yearly

1 - Enhance our Built Environment





Damage to property


Number of reports to Police. Reduction of repeat target areas.

Adopt a Bus Shelter

Community members provided all material to paint out graffiti and report to COG.

COG (Lead) Community members

Yearly – reports collected monthly






Damage to property


Number of shelters adopted. Number of reports received. Any drop in repeat incidents.

City of Gosnells

Promoting responsible sale of implements that

COG Local Business

Yearly as part of Anti-graffiti campaign


Reduce fear of Number of businesses


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Anti-Graffiti Business Accord

can be used for graffiti. Create an attractive and vibrant community



crime

Damage to property


participating.

Do it Yourself (DIY) Business Security Pack

A pack designed with business in mind to reduce crime or minimise the effects of it on business.

COG (Lead) WAP

Ongoing. Safe City staff to attend local businesses to promote crime prevention material contained in the pack.




Damage to property

Theft


Loitering

Amount of packs distributed to business.

City of Gosnells Armed Hold Up Presentation

A presentation between the City of Gosnells and the WA Police on armed hold up prevention and safety. Focus is on better informed community on how to minimise the risk of armed hold ups and maximise the potential for evidence gathering for Police.

COG WAP

As required in consultation with WAP. City of Gosnells to organise media release yearly to seek local interest in program.




Damage to property

Theft


Amount of presentations conducted. Number of participants. Number of DIY business security packs distributed at presentations.


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GOAL FOUR – DESIGNING OUT CRIME AND USING TECHNOLOGY

PROGRAM PROJECT

DESCRIPTION RESPONSIBILITY TIMEFRAME COMMUNITY

PLAN OUTCOME AREA

FOCUS AREA / ISSUE


eWATCH An email system that works with the WAP to help track down crime and to provide crime prevention advice to people registered with eWATCH through the Safe City Initiative.

COG (Lead) WAP

Ongoing – eWATCH alerts are sent out on an as needs basis from WAP and community safety messages are sent out each month.




Home burglary

Damage to property

Theft



Improving lighting

Loitering

Number of registrations. Number of alerts. Feedback from the community.

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED)

CPTED examines the relationship between environmental and design factors and the opportunities for crime. It examines ways to change the current and future built environment within the City to not only reduce crime but to also increase the senses of safety and security within the community.

COG (Lead) WA Police Strategic Crime Prevention

Ongoing – New developments and plans reviewed with designing out crime principles in conjunction with Liveable Neighbourhoods - 2009 and IPWEA (Institute of Public Works Engineering Australia) Guidelines Edition 2 - 2009


Ensure applications for planning approval and development include measures to design-out crime


Home burglary

Damage to property

Theft



Improving lighting

Loitering

Planning applications reviewed using CPTED. Crime prevention advice provided using CPTED.


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Home Safety Audits NEW

Provides residents with an audit of their property and how to take positive steps to increase their home and personal security.

COG (Lead) WAP

Ongoing - As required, referred by WAP or self-referred in consultation with WAP.




Home burglary

Damage to property

Theft

Improving lighting

Number of audits.

Online Community Youth Forum

To directly engage youth to design an online youth forum. Accredited training provided to identified young people for Hive website. Facebook set up to engage young people and keep them informed of youth events and programs. Provides a forum where young people can discuss various issues including how crime and anti-social behaviour affects them.

COG Ongoing 3 - Provide Opportunities for All


Damage to property


Number of participants. Delivery of training. Development of website. Number of hits on website.

Interactive DVD – Home Security

To provide a user friendly resource that residents can use to guide them through a virtual tour of a house in a DVD format which they can use to identify vulnerable aspects of their home and suggests methods to remedy these.

COG GDNHW SCP

Ongoing – Initially funded from SCP in 2011 – 2012 as part of Community Safety and Crime Prevention Plan Endorsement with 15,750 DVDs produced.




Home burglary

Theft

Damage to property

Improving lighting

Number of DVDs distributed.


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Legend: COG – City of Gosnells SCP – WA Police Strategic Crime Prevention PCYC – Police and Community Youth Centre WAP – Western Australia Police PTA – Public Transport Authority DFES – Department of Fire & Emergency Services GDNHW - Gosnells District Neighbourhood Watch

Appendix One

Community Safety Survey Results

2013


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Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................ 3 Respondent Profile ................................................................................................. 4 Summary of Responses:

Question 1 ..................................................................................................... 6 Question 2 ..................................................................................................... 8 Question 3 ..................................................................................................... 9 Question 4 ..................................................................................................... 10 Question 5 ..................................................................................................... 12 Question 6 ..................................................................................................... 14 Question 7 ..................................................................................................... 14 Question 8 ..................................................................................................... 16 Question 9 ..................................................................................................... 17 Question 10 ................................................................................................... 18 Question 11 ................................................................................................... 19 Question 12 ................................................................................................... 21 Question 13 ................................................................................................... 22 Question 14 ................................................................................................... 23


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Data Information for Responses:

Question 1 ..................................................................................................... 25 Question 2 ..................................................................................................... 26 Question 3 ..................................................................................................... 26 Question 4 ..................................................................................................... 27 Question 5 ..................................................................................................... 28 Question 6 & 7 ............................................................................................... 29 Question 8 ..................................................................................................... 30 Question 9 ..................................................................................................... 31 Question 10 & 11 ........................................................................................... 32 Question 12 & 13 ........................................................................................... 34 Question 14 ................................................................................................... 35


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Introduction The City of Gosnells Community Safety and Crime Prevention Plan was reviewed to identify the ongoing community safety and crime prevention priorities to be addressed. The plan was developed with input from many government agencies, community groups and feedback from the community itself. Residents were urged to complete a survey form and comment on crime and safety issues in an effort to help shape future communities. The Community Safety Survey was conducted from Tuesday 1 August until Friday 6 September 2013. As there was an overwhelming response to this survey, applications received up until 20 January 2014 were also included. Community Safety Survey forms were distributed to the following locations within the City of Gosnells:

Addie Mills Centre

Amherst Library

William Langford Community House (formerly Boogurlarri Community House)

Children’s Services

City of Gosnells Civic Centre (Customer Service)

Kenwick Library

Knowledge Centre

Langford Aboriginal Association

Leisure World

Neighbourhood Watch

Thornlie Library

Youth Services A mail out to 50 random addresses within each suburb of Gosnells was also undertaken. Forms were also available on the City of Gosnells website and from the Safe City office. A total of 1,800 survey forms were distributed/available within the City, of which a total of 878 responses were received, this included 283 online responses. The information contained within this report is based on these responses.


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Respondent Profile Of the 878 responses received, 164 were received from males and 306 were received from females. The following table shows a breakdown of responses by Age Group and Gender. 408 respondents did not provide an answer to the gender question. The gender question was not included in the initial online survey form, which accounts for the 46% with no gender indicated.

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10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Under 18 18 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 45 - 54 55 - 64 65 and over not indicated

Response by Age Group and Gender

male

female

not indicated


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The following table shows the number of responses received by suburb.

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50

100

150

200

250

Response by Suburb


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1. I believe that the crime rate in the City of Gosnells is: The following table shows the total responses received for Question 1:

A total of 8 respondents did not provide an answer to this question.

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50

100

150

200

250

300

Very Low Low Somewhat Low Average Somewhat High High Very High

Response to Question 1


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The following table shows the responses to Question 1 by Age Group:

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10

20

30

40

50

60

Very Low Low Somewhat Low Average Somewhat High High Very High

Response to Question 1 by Age Group

Under 18

18 - 24

25 - 34

35 to 44

45 - 54

55 - 64

65 and over


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2. What are you basing your answer to Question 1 on?

The following table shows the total responses received for Question 2:


0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

I have recently been a victim ofcrime in my area

I know of someone who has been arecent victim of crime in my area

Media coverage of events in thearea

Crime statistics fromNeighbourhood Watch or

newspaper coverage in my area

Word of mouth



9

3. If you have been a victim of crime/s or you have witnessed a crime did you report it to the Police?


A total of 70 did not provide an answer to this question, however 28 indicated that have never been in a situation where they have been a victim or witnessed a crime.

The main reasons identified by respondents who selected ‘No’ or ‘Sometimes’ were:

Minor offence Fear of reprisal

Waste of time Already reported

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

Yes No Sometimes



10

4. How safe do you feel living/working in the City of Gosnells? The following table shows the total responses received for Question 4:


0

50

100

150

200

250

Very Safe Safe Somewhat Safe Average Somewhat Unsafe Unsafe Very Unsafe



11

The following table shows the total responses received for Question 4 by Suburb:

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Response to Question 4 by Suburb

Very Safe

Safe

Somewhat Safe

Average

SomewhatUnsafe

Unsafe

Very Unsafe


12

5. When compared to other local councils in the area do you believe that the City of Gosnells has less crime, about the same amount of crime, or more crime?



0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

Less crime About the same amount of crime More crime Unsure



13

The following table shows the total responses received for Question 5 by Suburb:

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Response to Question 5 by Suburb

Less crime

About the sameamount of crime

More crime

Unsure


14

6 How long have you lived or worked in the City of Gosnells? 7. During the time that you have lived/worked in the City of Gosnells do you believe that crime has: The following table shows the total responses received for Questions 6 and 7:


0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Less than 1year

1 - 5 years 6 - 10 years 11 - 20 years Over 20 years No Answer Not Indicated.

Response to Questions 6 and 7

Become less of aproblem

Stayed about the same

Become more of aproblem


15

The following table shows responses to Questions 6 and 7 by Suburb:


0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

Response to Questions 6 and 7

Become less of aproblem

Stayed aboutthe same

Become more ofa problem


16

8. Please consider the following crimes/safety issues and pick the 5 that are most likely to occur in the City of Gosnells:

A total of 19 options were available for participants to select from with the following crimes/ safety issues being identified as the most likely to occur in the City of Gosnells:

The next two highest scoring crimes were stealing from motor vehicle and drug dealing/taking.

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

Motor Vehicle Theft Theft Anti Social Behaviour Anti Social Driver Behaviour(Hooning)

Burglary (Home)



17

9. Of the five you have just chosen in the question above, please identify the crime/safety issues that you believe is of the greatest priority for your community to address


0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

Burglary (Home) Drug Dealing / Taking Anti Social Behaviour Anti Social Driver Behaviour(Hooning)

Theft



18

10. What do you feel could be done to address this crime/safety issue within your community? This question did not provide multiple choice answers, therefore responses have been allocated to the main areas shown in the chart. Where identified, up to a total of three options were included for each response.

A total of 160 respondents did not provide an answer to this question. Of the 1020 answers received for this question, the following three areas received the highest amount of responses: More Police Presence: 390 Tougher Penalties for Offenders: 136 Security Patrols: 132

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

More PolicePresence

Security Patrols Better Lighting IncreasedCommunityAwareness

TougherPenalties for

Offenders

Education inSchools

ImprovedFacilities

Other EmploymentOpportunities



19

11. In general terms please select what you see as the 3 main things that you believe would improve community safety.

The following chart shows the overall response to Question 11:

A total of 13 respondents did not provide an answer and 30 responses had more than 3 selected.

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

Improvements inlighting

Strengtheningrelationships

between people inneighbourhoods

Reducing thenumbers of young

people hangingaround

Strengthening oflaw enforcement /

penalties

Increasing thenumber of Police

Raisingcommunity

awareness ofcrime preventionand community

safety

Improvements tothe physical

design of area

Other



20

The following chart shows the top responses to Question 11 by Suburb:


0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

Response to Question 11 by Suburb Improvements inlighting

Strengtheningrelationships betweenpeople inneighbourhoodsReducing thenumbers of youngpeople hangingaroundStrengthening of lawenforcement /penalties

Increasing thenumber of Police

Raising communityawareness of crimeprevention andcommunity safetyImprovements to thephysical design ofarea

Other


21

12. Are there any areas within the City of Gosnells that you feel unsafe? Please list them.

Of the 953 responses received for Question 12, the following areas were identified by people as the most unsafe.


0

50

100

150

200

250

300



22

13. Please tell us why you feel unsafe in these areas. This question did not provide multiple choice answers, therefore responses have been allocated to the main areas shown in the chart. Where identified, up to a total of three options were included for each response.

A total of 269 respondents did not provide an answer to this question Note: All one-off responses were included in the ‘Other’ field.

0

50

100

150

200

250

300



23

14. Please select what you see as the 3 main things that you think increase crime in your area. The following chart shows the overall responses to Question 14:


0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500



24

The following chart shows the top three responses to Question 14 by suburb.

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140Reponses to Question 14 by Suburb

Lack ofPolice

Drugs

Alcohol


25

The following tables show the data information received for each question, which the above tables have been created from.

1. I believe that the crime rate in the City of Gosnells is:

Rate Responses Percentage

Very Low 14 2

Low 21 2

Somewhat Low 111 13

Average 175 20

Somewhat High 247 28

High 155 18

Very High 147 17

No Answer 8 1

Rate Under 18 18 - 24 25 - 34 35 to 44

45 - 54 55 - 64 65 and over

Very Low 2 1 1 2 2 2 4

Low 2 2 5 2 5 2 3

Somewhat Low 7 3 13 24 17 20 27

Average 10 10 17 31 38 25 44

Somewhat High 4 3 39 54 48 49 50

High 1 10 18 31 33 29 33

Very High 2 10 18 27 29 24 37

No Answer 2 1 0 1 2 1 1


26

2. What are you basing your answer to Question 1 on?

Answer Responses Percentage

I have recently been a victim of crime in my area 204 13

I know of someone who has been a recent victim of crime in my area 130 8

Media coverage of events in the area 391 24 Crime statistics from Neighbourhood Watch or newspaper coverage in my area

445 28

Word of mouth 327 20

No answer 102 6 3. If you have been a victim of crime/s or you have witnessed a crime did you report it to the Police?


Yes 643 74

No 121 14

Sometimes 34 4

No answer 70 8


N/A 22 29

Couldn't be bothered 1 1

None of my business 2 3

Knew the offender 0 0

Already reported 10 13

Fear of reprisal 9 12

Unable to get enough details to report 2 3

Previous Police reports not attended 0 0

Minor offence 11 14

Waste of Time 13 17

Perceived lack of Police response 6 8


27

4. How safe do you feel living / working in the City of Gosnells?

Rating Responses Percentage

Very Safe 47 5

Safe 81 9

Somewhat Safe 169 20

Average 229 27 Somewhat Unsafe

200 23

Unsafe 69 8

Very Unsafe 61 7

No Answer 5 1 Responses to question 4 by suburb

Rate Beckenham Canning Vale

Gosnells Huntingdale Kenwick Langford Maddington Martin Orange Grove

Southern River

Thornlie Not Indicated

Very Safe 7 7 1 4 2 6 2 0 1 6 11 0

Safe 5 13 20 6 2 2 3 1 3 8 17 1

Somewhat Safe

7 22 37 10 13 9 12 2 2 17 38 0

Average 12 24 49 8 10 15 22 13 9 10 57 0

Somewhat Unsafe

8 24 54 8 11 12 11 6 3 10 53 0

Unsafe 1 8 17 6 7 1 7 2 2 3 15 0

Very Unsafe 2 4 25 1 3 7 5 1 2 2 8 1

No Answer 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1


28

5. When compared to other local councils in the area do you believe that the City of Gosnells has less crime, about the same

amount of crime, or more crime?

Amount Response Percentage

Less crime 47 5 About the same amount of crime

468 53

More crime 333 38

Unsure 10 1

No answer 22 3

Responses to question 5 by suburb

Level Beckenham Canning Vale


Southern River


Less crime 3 9 6 4 1 11 3 0 1 3 5 1

About the same amount of crime

29 53 118 23 24 18 31 19 9 40 104 0

More crime

8 37 86 16 23 20 28 8 11 11 84 1

Unsure 0 0 6 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 1 0

No Answer 3 4 1 1 2 1 1 0 1 2 5 1


29

6. How long have you lived or worked in the City of Gosnells? 7. During the time that you have lived / worked in the City of Gosnells do you believe that crime has:

Level Less than 1 year

1 - 5 years

6 - 10 years

11 - 20 years

Over 20 years

No Answer Not Indicated

Become less of a problem 4 17 13 13 17 0 2

Stayed about the same 17 96 44 45 58 0 0

Become more of a problem 10 72 92 125 242 0 0

No answer 2 1 0 1 4 4 0


Level Beckenham Canning Vale


Southern River


Become less of a problem

10 7 17 2 0 7 5 4 0 3 9 0

Stayed about the same

10 30 65 18 19 17 18 8 7 22 45 1

Become more of a problem

23 65 135 23 26 26 39 13 13 31 144 1

No answer 0 1 0 1 3 2 1 0 2 0 0 1


30

8. Please consider the following crimes / safety issues and pick the 5 that are most likely to occur in the City of Gosnells:

Answer Response Percentage

Motor Vehicle Theft 340 9

Sexual Assault 9 0

No Answer 12 0

Other 16 0

Substance Abuse (Glue Sniffing) 29 1

Street Gangs 49 1

Racial Conflict 67 2

Domestic Violence 83 2

More than 5 selections 83 2

Street Drinking 108 3

Physical Assault 119 3

Robbery (Stealing with Violence) 136 3

Burglary (Business) 211 5

Damage / Vandalism 247 6

Graffiti 252 6

Stealing from Motor Vehicles 258 7

Drug Dealing / Taking 269 7

Theft 276 7

Anti-Social Behaviour 348 9

Anti-Social Driver Behaviour (Hooning)

372 9

Burglary (Home) 655 17


31

9. Of the five you have just chosen in the question above, please identify the crime / safety issues that you believe is of the greatest priority for your community to address.


Motor Vehicle Theft 5 1

Street Drinking 12 1

Burglary (Business) 13 2

Burglary (Home) 298 35

Sexual Assault 0 0

Drug Dealing / Taking 90 11

Graffiti 13 2

Physical Assault 15 2

Street Gangs 7 1

Anti-Social Behaviour 90 11

Racial Conflict 11 1

Stealing from Motor Vehicles 6 1

Theft 36 4

Domestic Violence 13 2

Anti-Social Driver Behaviour (Hooning)

95 11

Substance Abuse (Glue Sniffing) 4 0

Damage / Vandalism 14 2

Robbery (Stealing with Violence) 18 2

No answer 84 10

Not specified 19 2

Not sure 3 0


32

10. What do you feel could be done to address this crime / safety issue within your community?


More Police Presence 390 33

Security Patrols 132 11

Better Lighting 24 2

Increased Community Awareness

103 9

Tougher Penalties for Offenders

136 12

Education in Schools 37 3

Improved Facilities 21 2

Other 156 13 Employment Opportunities

21 2

No Answer 160 14

11. In general terms please select what you see as the 3 main things that you believe would improve community safety.


Improvements in lighting 288 12

Strengthening relationships between people in neighbourhoods

286 12

Reducing the numbers of young people hanging around

354 15

Strengthening of law enforcement / penalties 561 23

Increasing the number of Police 573 24

Raising community awareness of crime prevention and community safety

265 11

Improvements to the physical design of area 29 1

Other 15 1

More than 3 selected 30 1

No Answer 13 1


33


Beckenham Canning Vale


Southern River


Improvements in lighting

15 40 70 16 19 18 18 5 1 15 71 0

Strengthening relationships between people in neighbourhoods

14 29 66 18 17 16 19 11 0 31 65 0

Reducing the numbers of young people hanging around

19 58 84 13 18 19 21 12 11 20 78 1

Strengthening of law enforcement / penalties

26 59 152 28 29 32 43 16 15 35 125 1

Increasing the number of Police

22 68 153 27 34 26 41 20 16 29 135 2

Raising community awareness of crime prevention and community safety

14 31 62 12 13 19 15 7 5 24 63 0

Improvements to the physical design of area

1 2 5 2 1 1 4 5 4 0 4 0

Other 2 0 4 1 2 0 2 1 0 1 1 1

More than 3 selected

2 3 7 1 1 2 4 0 2 1 7 0

No Answer 1 0 2 0 0 3 1 0 0 0 6 0


34

12. Are there any areas within the City of Gosnells that you feel unsafe? Please list them.

Hotels /Taverns

Local Streets

Parks /Reserves

Schools Shopping Centres

Skate Parks

Under-passes

Train Stations

Areas after dark

CBD Entire Suburbs

Other No answer

Not Applicable

4 115 91 1 180 4 2 243 148 38 105 1 226 21

0% 10% 8% 0% 15% 0% 0% 21% 13% 3% 9% 0% 19% 2% 13. Please tell us why you feel unsafe in these areas.

Dark Areas / Lack of Lighting

Anti-Social / Aggressive Behaviour

Groups Gathering / Loitering

Lack of Security Drugs and Alcohol

Other No Answer

89 280 244 77 96 91 269

8% 24% 21% 7% 8% 8% 23%


35

14. Please select what you see as the 3 main things that you think increase crime in your area.


Lack of Police 458 18

Drugs 425 17

Unemployment 285 11

Alcohol 383 15

Lighting 134 5

Other substance abuse 130 5

Physical design of area 60 2

Lack of deterrent 361 14

Boredom 229 9

Other 29 1

No Answer 17 1 Responses to question 14 by suburb

Beckenham Canning

Vale Gosnells Huntingdale Kenwick Langford Maddington Martin Orange

Grove Southern River


Lack of Police 27 52 124 23 25 13 39 18 13 22 101 1

Drugs 25 41 98 23 28 29 29 17 9 26 99 1

Unemployment 11 28 74 14 17 23 21 12 7 16 61 1

Alcohol 14 48 106 19 23 30 24 13 7 23 76 0

Lighting 9 16 28 9 11 11 9 3 2 7 30 0

Other substance abuse

7 14 47 3 6 2 7 3 3 4 34 0

Physical design of area

3 6 16 4 2 3 5 2 3 9 7 0

Lack of deterrent

14 53 84 19 14 11 23 5 13 29 95 1

Boredom 11 39 46 11 11 15 12 4 2 19 57 2

Other 1 3 6 2 1 3 2 3 1 1 6 0

No Answer 1 1 1 1 0 2 3 0 1 2 5 0

More than 3 selected

0 0 1 0 1 0 3 0 0 0 0 0

community safety and crime prevention plan 2014 - 2017 · 2014. 7. 21. · city of gosnells...

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