MEDOWIE CRIME MEETING

23-November-2010

Mr CRAIG BAUMANN (Port Stephens) [1.09 p.m.]: Today I speak of my concerns about crime in the Medowie community. Complaints about crime in the area have increased over the past few years, particularly relating to car theft, home break-ins and vandalism, and recent crime maps indicate that the community's concerns are valid. According to new statistical crime maps of New South Wales, Medowie rates in the top 10 percent of the State for density of car thefts and it rates in the top 20 per cent of the State for density of steal from a dwelling. Last week I hosted a crime and safety meeting in the town to better educate residents on how to better protect themselves, their cars and their homes from falling victim to criminal activity.

More than 100 local residents turned up and each had a genuine concern about crime in the town. I pay tribute to Detective Chief Inspector Peter Fox, crime manager of the Port Stephens Local Area Command, for doing a terrific job and for giving a well-rounded and informative presentation about crime in Medowie. Detective Chief Inspector Fox talked to residents about how criminals think and how residents can stay one step ahead of them. His advice ranged from the obvious such as locking doors at night and not leaving windows wide open. However, he also had some helpful tips based on crime trends in the area. For example, offenders break into houses simply to take the keys to the car in the driveway—not the wallet, the handbag, one's cash or one's iPod. For the record, Inspector Fox suggested that people should hide their car keys when they go to bed at night.

This offence leads to another issue in Medowie—cars being stolen and dumped in nearby bushland. One woman said that her car had been stolen and dumped when she and her young family had just moved into the area—not a great welcome to an otherwise great community. There is also the horrifying story of a woman who was driving her car and one of the wheels of the car came off, as someone had loosened the wheel nuts—a terrifying experience for this woman and one which could have ended in tragedy. What can we do about crime? For a start, more police would be great. We need more police but I congratulate the police we have for the job that they do against all odds. When I pushed for and got the Port Stephens Local Area Command, it was supposedly overstaffed with 108 officers, which simply is not the case. I note that the Labor candidate for Port Stephens has been spruiking about an increase in police numbers in Port Stephens. At the weekend the Labor candidate issued a largely erroneous press release in which she said:

Police numbers in Port Stephens Local Area Command have been increased seeing an additional 3 general duty officers and 1 detective.

Those officers do not come on line until at least January—a convenient couple of months out from an election. The Labor candidate for Port Stephens, who is trying to get this Government re-elected—she appears to be as out of touch with the Port Stephens community as is this incompetent Government—failed to acknowledge that 10 of the command's 108 officers are on long-term sick leave. I understand that a number of officers currently are working on part-time schedules whereby two officers are sharing a one-person shift. But on the books of this dodgy Labor Government they are counted individually as full-time officers. The New South Wales Liberal-Nationals Coalition will conduct an audit of all local area commands to determine where there is a need for more police officers and to ensure the greatest police presence on our streets. But it is not a quick fix.

In the short term, members of the community must work with police to protect themselves. At the meeting one gentleman stood up and asked local police, "How can we help you?" Unlike the Labor candidate for Port Stephens, who has resorted to Labor spin tactics, the New South Wales Opposition is listening and it has practical plans to address these issues. It will make our streets safer with a twenty-first century Neighbourhood Watch Program. While nothing can replace having police on the beat, local communities should be able to help in the fight against local crime. As Detective Chief Inspector Fox told the forum last week, local people working with local police through community policing is the most effective way of doing that. We will also tackle graffiti and vandalism with a "You Spray, You Pay" policy, which will empower the courts to suspend convicted graffiti vandals' drivers licences or extend the time spent on learners and provisional licences, and legislate for the courts to impose community service orders on offenders to make recompense and to clean up the graffiti. I am yet to hear what the Labor candidate for Port Stephens or the incompetent Government she is trying to get re-elected will do about crime and safety in Port Stephens. One thing is for sure: they certainly are not listening.

Ms ANGELA D'AMORE (Drummoyne—Parliamentary Secretary) [1.13 p.m.]: I thank the member for Port Stephens for indicating to the House that he and his constituents attended a recent crime and safety meeting in his electorate. Working with local area commands, police officers and our communities often is the best way to highlight trouble spots and to educate community members about simple things that they can do around their homes to protect their vehicles, to prevent vandalism, or to reduce crime rates. The member for Port Stephens referred to several issues relating to police officers in his electorate but he also took the time to criticise the Labor candidate, which is not the purpose of private members' statements.

It is important for the member for Port Stephens to suggest what he thinks should happen in his community. I was heartened by the fact that he acknowledged that community policing, a Labor Government initiative, is working well in all our communities. The member referred to the fact that new recruits will be coming on board in January, which I am sure will be welcomed by all members of his community. However, that statement somewhat contradicted his earlier statement that this Labor Government has done nothing in his electorate. Those officers will be appointed as and when new recruits come out of Goulburn. This Government has a strong commitment to ensuring that recruits who come out of Goulburn are increasingly placed in our local communities.