Crime Prevention Strategy & Action Plan
prepared in accordance with the NSW Department of Justice Guidelines for the purpose of
seeking endorsement as a Safer Community Compact
prepared in accordance with the
4 December 2014
NSW Department of Justice Guidelines
in order to request a
Community Safety Compact
Table of Contents
1
INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................ 3
2
MARRICKVILLE CRIME PRIORITIES ...................................................... 4
3
PROFILE OF THE PRIORITY CRIMES ..................................................... 5
3.1 Theft – Steal from dwelling/break and enter dwelling ..................... 5
3.2 Assault – non-domestic violence related assault ........................... 6
4
HOW THE PRIORITY CRIMES WERE SELECTED .................................. 8
4.1 Theft - steal from dwelling/break and enter dwelling ...................... 8
4.2 Assault - non-domestic violence related assault .......................... 10
5
SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS: ..................................................................... 13
5.1 Newtown Station .............................................................................. 13
5.2 Marrickville Station .......................................................................... 13
5.3 King Street and Enmore Road ........................................................ 14
5.4 Illawarra Road and Marrickville Road ............................................. 14
6
STAKEHOLDERS.................................................................................... 15
6.1 Safety issues identified by local businesses and community
organisations ............................................................................................ 15
6.2 Feedback on the draft Crime Prevention Strategy – LACs and SIM
Committee Members ................................................................................ 16
7
MONITORING AND EVALUATING ......................................................... 17
7.1 Evaluation and data collection........................................................ 17
8
CRIME PREVENTION ACTION PLAN .................................................... 18
2
1
INTRODUCTION
Marrickville Council has prepared the Marrickville Crime Prevention Strategy and
Action Plan (the Plan) to address some of the priority categories of offences in
Marrickville. The Plan is based on review of available data and liaison with local
agencies including local police and those providing family and youth support. The
main categories of crime addressed in the Plan are those that occur with the highest
frequency, those that have been raised by local service providers, and those that
Council can have an impact on.
The Plan has been prepared using the NSW Department of Justice guidelines and
template and is specifically intended as a submission to the Department to secure a
Safe Community Compact and to obtain a grant to implement it.
The Plan proposes a number of actions that will contribute to achieving some
objectives of Our Place: Our Vision Marrickville Community Strategic Plan.
Theft is considered one of the main areas that Council can collaborate with local
police and achieve results. In 2009 - 2010 Council participated in the Inner West
Theft Reduction Program with funding from the (then) NSW Attorney General’s
Department. The program involved an education campaign against theft from motor
vehicles and an audit of priority locations using the Crime Prevention Through
Environmental Design principles. As part of the program immobilisers were provided
to owners of older cars to limit motor vehicle theft in the area.
Marrickville Council has not applied for, or received, funding for crime prevention
programs since 2010. In this Plan Council intends to focus on theft from dwellings
(steal from dwelling/break and enter dwelling). Incidents of steal from dwelling have
increased by 11.6% over the last five years and incidents of break and enter
dwelling, while stable, remain high in comparison to other local areas.
Marrickville Council has also chosen to focus on non-domestic violence related
assault, and particularly assault that is alcohol related given the potential for this
category of crime to result in serious harm and possible death. Marrickville has a
large and popular entertainment precinct on King Street and Enmore Road Newtown,
and a number of smaller pub clusters, all with extended trading hours. Further local
police say that numbers visiting Newtown have increased since the NSW
Government introduced the 1 am lock out in Kings Cross and George Street City
early in 2014.
This Plan has been drafted using the template published by the NSW Department of
Justice, and in accordance with the associated guidelines.
Input from community members and the Safety in Marrickville have been used to
identify the priority crimes for Marrickville, and strategies and actions to address
these crimes and for potential funding by the Department.
3
2
MARRICKVILLE CRIME PRIORITIES
Over the last ten years, the offences shown in Table 1 have consistently been the
most frequent based on the number of recorded incidents in Marrickville. The three
categories of crime have generally been above the NSW average and higher than
nearby local areas with similar characteristics to Marrickville.
While the incidents and rate of these crimes is decreasing in Marrickville, they are still
high in comparison to other crimes and the incidents recorded in other areas. These
crimes impact significantly on Marrickville communities and there are actions that can
be taken to achieve an improvement.
Table 1: Most frequent offences in Marrickville - of the 19 major offence categories
- number, rate & quintile* ten years ending 30 Jun 2014
YE 30
JUN
2005
YE 30
JUN
2006
YE 30
JUN
2007
YE 30
JUN
2008
YE 30
JUN
2009
YE 30
JUN
2010
YE 30
JUN
2011
YE 30
JUN
2012
YE 30
JUN
2013
YE 30
JUN
2014
Incidents of theft
4680
6271.4
1
5015
6693.7
1
4988
6577.4
1
4818
6239.1
1
3606
4586.9
1
3869
4846.0
1
3080
3814.1
2
3190
3918.9
1
3557
4354.3
1
3200
3917.3
1
Incidents of malicious
damage to property
1035
1386.8
3
1167
1557.3
3
1352
1784.0
2
1273
1649.7
2
1278
1625.8
2
1067
1337.9
2
1050
1300.2
2
913
1121.8
1
935
1144.6
2
885
1083.4
2
Incidents of assault
873
1170.0
3
981
1309.6
2
902
1190.2
3
775
1004.3
3
758
964.6
3
666
834.0
3
741
917.4
3
723
888.1
3
682
834.9
3
705
863.0
3

Where quintile 1 refers to the top quintile (that identifies Councils that have the highest rate of incidents), quintile 5 refers to the
lowest quintile (that identifies Councils that have the lowest rate of incidents)
Council has previously obtained grants for programs to address motor vehicle theft
and steal from motor vehicle, and to implement out of school hours programs for
youth. Council continues to run out of school hours programs for children and youth
in Marrickville through its community development activities.
Council has received significant funding in recent years to address graffiti and has a
graffiti removal program in place. Council also contributes to a program run by the
Marrickville Youth Resource Centre to assist young offenders charged with graffiti
offences and discourage them from reoffending.
In this Crime Prevention Strategy and Action Plan, Marrickville Council has decided
to focus on programs related to:

Theft – specifically steal from dwelling/break and enter dwelling, and

Assault – specifically non-domestic violence related assault, the majority of
which is alcohol related or occurs in areas where crowds are attracted by the
clustering of alcohol establishments.
These priorities are chosen as the ones that Council can work on with local agencies
and achieve the most success. The following criteria, have also been used to identify
these priority offences for Marrickville:




The number and rate of offences are above or near the State average
The trend is upwards in over the last five years or stable
Marrickville experienced a higher number and rate in these offences
compared to NSW or other areas with similar demographics
Council (if funding is obtained form the NSW Department of Justice) and local
agencies (specifically the Local Area Commands) have the expertise and
commitment necessary to make an impact
4

There is a realistic chance that the two strategies Council is proposing can
reduce the priority offences because:
o Access control accompanied by awareness campaigns can be
effective in reducing both break and enter dwelling and steal from
dwelling offences1,
o There is a growing body of evidence from both Australia and overseas
that shows community-based strategies can reduce alcohol-related
assault in entertainment precincts2, and
o The proposed strategies are based on the NSW Department of
Justice’s factsheet, handbook and cost guidelines for the offences –
this documentation is based on a review of successful interventions
aimed at crime prevention.
3
PROFILE OF THE PRIORITY CRIMES
3.1
Theft – Steal from dwelling/break and enter dwelling
Council has chosen to combine these two sub-categories of theft into one strategy as
the impact on residents can be similar (in that people and their home/possessions
are at risk) and the impact of the proposed strategy will be similar (in that people and
their home/possessions will be safer). There are similarities in the way these two subcategories are addressed in relation to crime prevention. Both categories can,
therefore, be addressed by the one strategy and suite of actions that represent a
more efficient and effective use of funding.
Data on incidents of steal from dwelling and incidents of break and enter dwelling are
provided in Table 3.1.
Steal from dwelling is an emerging issue for Marrickville and while there is a
downward trend in incidents of break and enter dwelling, the number and rate is still
significantly high enough to warrant attention.
There was a significant increase in incidents of steal from dwelling over the five years
ending 31 December 2013. No trend is indicated in the data for the two years ending
31 December 2013, as the rate of incidents has been stable.
Marrickville has moved into the top quintile and has moved in up in ranking against
NSW councils.
Marrickville is experiencing a higher rate of incidents of steal from dwelling
than wider NSW and other areas with similar characteristics.
There was a small decrease in the rate of incidents of break and enter dwelling in the
five years ending 31 December 2013. No trend is indicated in the data for the two
years ending 31 December 2013, as the rate of incidents has been stable.
Marrickville has moved down from the top quintile to the second top quintile for
incidents of break and enter dwelling, and has slipped slightly in ranking against all
NSW councils.
Despite the downturn in incidents of break and enter dwelling Marrickville is
still experiencing a higher rate of incidents than wider NSW and other areas
with similar characteristics.
1
Handbook on access control and awareness campaigns to prevent residential burglary, Australian Institute of Criminology for NSW Department of Justic
2 Handbook on strategies to prevent alcohol related assault in entertainment precincts, Australian Institute of Criminology for NSW Department of Justice
5
The combined rates of theft offences related to dwellings indicate there is still
a need to focus resources on these types of theft. Council can coordinate
audits of dwellings, and the public domain around dwellings, in identified
hotspots. Council can then implement programs to reduce the level of theft
related to dwellings.
Table 3.1: Marrickville priorit y sub-categories of theft - number, rate & quintile*
trend and ranking - 1July 2009 to 31 December 2013
2009
Steal
from
dwelling
Break
and
enter
dwelling
3.2
2010
2011
2012
2014
206
296
228
259
305
262.0
370.2
282.4
318.0
373.4
4
4
4
3
4
475
555
385
322
445
604.1
694.6
476.7
395.6
544.7
5
4
4
3
4
Five
year
trend
Two
year
trend
Rank
2009
Rank
2013
Up
11.6%
Stable
99
50
Down
3.6%
Stable
55
60
Assault – non-domestic violence related assault
Council has chosen to focus on non-domestic violence related assault because of the
number and clusters of alcohol establishments in the LGA where this crime is
occurring. Assault is either directly related to alcohol consumption in these areas or
to the crowds that are attracted to such areas.
Statistics on incidents of non-domestic violence related assault and are provided in
Table 3.2.
Incidents of non-domestic violence related assaults remain high in comparison to
other person related offences in Marrickville (such as domestic assault and sexual
assault). Non-domestic violence related assault has consistently recorded the highest
number of incidents of all assaults over the previous ten years in Marrickville.
Incidents of non-domestic violence related assault are decreasing in NSW and
Marrickville. The rate has declined in Marrickville from 1170.0 to 863.0 in the last ten
years and was slightly lower than the State average of 880.4 at 30 June 2014. The
rate of decline has been faster in Marrickville than in NSW (3.3% pa compared to
1.7%pa).
The majority of incidents of non-domestic violence related assault occur in or around
alcohol venues as shown in the following data (and on the hotspot map in Section 3):

38% road/street/footpath

25% residential

11% retail/wholesale

6% licensed premises in Marrickville LGA

6% public transport – rail
6

14% other
In Newtown 22.5% of incidents of non-domestic violence related assault occur in
licensed premises.
The decrease in incidents of non-domestic violence related assault may reflect lower
rates of alcohol related assault and assaults in pub precincts that have been
influenced by the introduction of stronger licensing restrictions, better policing and
agreements through the local liquor accords for alcohol establishments in the LGA.
30 June 2013 figures indicate that the rate of non-domestic violence related assault
is stable. However, non-domestic violence related assault ranks high among all
61offences recorded for Marrickville, at eighth highest. When ranked against all NSW
councils, Marrickville is about mid-way for but Marrickville in consistently in the
second highest quintile and has moved from 78th in 2009 to 68th in 2013 the ranking.
The high rate of non-domestic violence related assault is likely related to the
significant number of alcohol and entertainment premises around King Street and
Enmore Road, Newtown, and other smaller clusters. Many alcohol establishments
have extended opening hours and social research shows a link between extended
trading hours and increased levels of alcohol related violence.
Alcohol related assault represents about 40% of non-domestic violence related
assaults in Marrickville. This figures rises to more than 80% in the Newtown area.
The number and rate of non-domestic violence related assault could, therefore, be
influenced by the type of controls that have been introduced in response to high
levels of public violence resulting from the clustering of alcohol premises with
extended hours and better policing that has been introduced at peak times.
The relatively high rate of incidents of non-domestic violence related assault
indicates there is still need to focus resources on this type of assault. Council
can continue to be involved by imposing conditions of development consent
that are endorsed by local police, and by working with police in the identified
hot spots on specific programs.
7
Table 3.2 Marrickville incidents of non-domestic violence relate d assault - number,
rate and quintile * 1 Jul y 2009 – 31 December 2013
Nondomestic
violence
related
assault
4
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
453
367
431
372
362
576.2
459.6
533.7
457.0
443.1
2
2
2
3
2
Five
year
trend
Two
year
trend
Rank
2009
Rank
2013
Stable
Stable
78
68
HOW THE PRIORITY CRIMES WERE SELECTED
The priority crimes were selected using the BOCSAR data on incidents that is
presented and discussed in Section 2 and the following additional information based
on community input, advance BOCSAR data for Marrickville and BOCSAR hotspot
maps.
4.1
Theft - steal from dwelling/break and enter dwelling
Incidents of steal from dwelling were identified as a priority offence by MLAC and
NLAC, where people are literally walking in off the street through open, or unlocked,
doors and windows. Mail theft and theft of car keys are also raised as a concern by
the LACs, and both crimes are a subset of steal from dwelling. Mail theft can lead to
fraud and the theft of motor vehicle keys can lead to either theft from or theft of motor
vehicles).
Most of the residential area of Marrickville is affected by incidents of steal from
dwelling (refer to hotspot maps below), and to a lesser extent break and enter
dwelling (reflecting the lower number of incidents of this offence). As would be
expected the industrial areas in the centre of Marrickville and to the south east of the
LGA are not affected by theft from dwellings.
The high density hotspots appear to be focussed on the two heavy rail lines and main
bus routes (along major roads), and particularly adjacent to Stanmore, Petersham,
Dulwich Hill and Marrickville Rail Stations. Smaller hotspots are clearly located
around St Peters and Tempe Stations. Also prevalent are the areas of Camperdown
and Newtown close to universities and entertainment precincts, and around
Marrickville Town Centre that is an active shopping and entertainment precinct.
The hotspots cover areas that experience high visitation and are hotspots for other
categories of crime. Local police indicate that some offenders use public transport to
access and leave the scene of an offence.
Marrickville has nine railway stations and is well served by public buses. This may
have an influence on why Marrickville experiences a higher rate of theft offences
related to dwellings that other areas that have a similar community profile. This may
also influence why the hotspots become less dense as they move away from the rail
stations and high activity areas.
Given the community profile of Marrickville residents – generally higher income,
higher employment and higher education than the NSW average – the residential
areas here are likely to be relatively quiet during the day, especially on a weekday,
8
and there will be limited casual surveillance. The lack of activity and casual
surveillance is one factor that contributes to opportunistic crime such as steal from
dwelling and break and enter.3
The profile of offenders indicates that they could come from within Marrickville and
other areas. In the circumstances strategies directed at the victims are considered
more appropriate as it will be easier for Council to identify them and interact with
them.
Table 4.1: Summary of incidents of steal from dwelling/break and enter dwelling year
ending 30 June 2013
Offence
Hot spots
Priority times
Offenders
What contributes to
rate of incidents
Steal from
dwelling
Almost all of the
residential areas
are affected
(see hotspot
map below).
68% during the
hours of 6am to
6pm -during the
day and
corresponding to
when many
residents are out
of the dwelling
Not available
(assume it
would be similar
to the data for
break and enter
dwelling)
Premises unsecured,
such as windows and
doors open, doors
left unlocked
Lack of access
control measures
such as weak doors
70% on a week
day corresponding to
when residents
are less likely to
be home
Break and
enter
dwelling
Covers slightly
less of the
residential areas
and has less
high density –
probably
reflecting the
lower rate of
break and enter
dwelling
66% during the
hours of 6am to
6pm
71% on a week
day
(see comments
on steal from
dwelling above)
Balcony doors left
open – particularly in
apartments
Mail boxes not
emptied or not large
enough to
accommodate mail
88% male
10% < 24
55% 20 - 39
45% Aboriginal
40 NonAboriginal
Marrickville LGA has
nine rail stations and
is well served by
public transport
A majority of
dwellings would be
unoccupied for many
hours during the day
14% unknown
The strategies and actions recommended in relation to steal from dwelling/break and
enter dwelling will be targeted at hotspots are aimed at a reduction in the number of
offences and include:

Housing and public domain audits in hot spots using the CPTED principles

Subsidised anti-theft devices such as window and door locks

Awareness raising for householders
3
9
The recommended programs will support current crime prevention measures by local
police, such as assistance to implement CPTED principles at local businesses by the
Newtown LAC Crime Prevention Officer.
Crim e Maps | BOCSAR
20/ 10/ 14 9:08 AM
Incidents of Theft (Steal from
dwelling) from Jul 2013 to Jun 2014
Density
High
Medium
Low
Crim e Maps | BOCSAR
20/ 10/ 14 9:05 AM
Map data
Report
©2014
a mapGoogle
error
http:/ / crim etool.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/ bocsar/
Page 1 of 1
Incidents of Theft (Break & enter
dwelling) from Jul 2013 to Jun 2014
Density
High
Medium
Low
Map data
Report
©2014
a mapGoogle
error
4.2
Assault - non-domestic violence related assault
http:/ / crim etool.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/ bocsar/
Page 1 of 1
Incidents of non-domestic violence related assault were identified by MLAC and
NLAC as a priority offence, specifically in relation to the entertainment precinct
around King Street and Enmore Road, Newtown and some of the smaller centres
that have pub clusters. Local police have been vigilant in policing the pub precincts
and establishing local liquor accords, possibly contributing to the stable rate of
incidents experienced in the last five years. Stronger liquor licensing and
10
development controls have been applied when alcohol venues have applied for, and
been granted, extended hours.
Incidents of non-domestic violence related assault are focused around the
entertainment precincts and smaller clusters of pubs that have extended trading
hours. The high density hotspot occurs around the Newtown precinct, with a smaller
high density hotspot around the hotel cluster in Marrickville.. Other less dense
hotspots occur on Marrickville Road near Dulwich Street, Dulwich Hill, Sydenham
Station, and New Canterbury Road near Livingstone Road, Petersham. Newtown
Rail Station is within the Newtown hotspot and Marrickville Rail Station is located
within the Marrickville hotspot. (Refer to hotspot map below)
The hotspots cover areas that experience high visitation and are hotspots for other
categories of crime.
The profile of offenders and victims indicates that they could come from within
Marrickville and other areas. In the circumstances strategies directed at offenders
and victims are considered appropriate. Strategies and actions will be focused on the
in the venues where it is considered most offenders and victims will spend time, and
surrounding streets and nearby rail stations.
Table 4.2: Summary of incidents of non-domestic violence related assault year
ending 30 June 2013
Offence
Hot spots
Priority times
Offenders &
Victims
What contributes to rate
of incidents
Non-domestic
violence
related assault
Majority are confined
to entertainment
precincts on King
Street and Enmore
Road Newtown, and
the vicinity of the
intersection of
Illawarra and
Marrickville Roads
Marrickville (see
hotspot map below).
53.2% at night
Offenders
59.9% weekday
90.7% Male
Alcohol related
86.5% at night
45.4% of male
offenders aged 40+
Alcohol related
58.9% weekend
40% of female
offenders aged
between 20 and 29
In Newtown 61.9% of
incidents of non-domestic
violence related assault in
2012-2013 were alcohol
related, in comparison only
39.3% of incidents were
alcohol related for the
whole of Marrickville
81.3% of offenders
non-Aboriginal
Others suggested by
local police:
Marrickville Road
near Dulwich Street,
Dulwich Hill
Victims
Sydenham Station
37.7% of female
victims aged
between 18 and 29
New Canterbury
Road near
Livingstone Road,
Petersham
70% Male
40.6% of male
victims aged 40+
Alcohol and the clustering
of venues are a factor in
the number of incidents –
the higher number of
incidents occur in areas
where there area more
venues
94.7% of victims
non-Aboriginal
11
Crim e Maps | BOCSAR
Density
High
20/ 10/ 14 9:03 AM
Incidents of Assault (Non-domestic
assault) from Jul 2013 to Jun 2014
Medium
Low
Map data
Report
©2014
a mapGoogle
error
The promotional material and media program is recommended to address nondomestic violence related assault, particularly alcohol related assault and anti-social
behaviour that are related to other offences such as malicious damage to property.
Newtown LAC has suggested the program and licensing police would hand the filled
reusable water bottles out to patrons exiting alcohol establishments on King Street
and Enmore Road during their shift. The establishments could also hand out the
plastic, reusable bottles to encourage patrons to intersperse their alcoholic drinks
with water and have water fountains on the premises to enable refilling. The
messages and graphics (that could be developed by local community groups and
agencies) would encourage patrons to be mindful about their drinking and social
behaviour.
http:/ / crim etool.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/ bocsar/
Page 1 of 1
The recommended program would support current crime prevention by local police
that include increased patrols in alcohol precincts during peak periods.
12
5
SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS:
The hotspot locations identified for non-domestic violence related assault and steal
from dwelling/break and enter dwelling offences are centred on train stations and
their surrounding areas. In particular Marrickville and Newtown Rail Stations and
nearby streets: Illawarra Road, Marrickville Road, Enmore Road and King Street. The
following analysis has, therefore, been undertaken on these locations.
5.1
Newtown Station
Newtown Station is located on the boundary of Marrickville, within the City of Sydney
Local Government Area, and people in Marrickville use it regularly. Ticket access
entry/exit gates control access to the platforms and the tracks are fully fenced.
There is CCTV surveillance of the entrance and exit and natural surveillance from
overlooking apartment buildings, the café (with outdoor seating) at the entrance, the
ticket officer, the patrolling transport officers (from time to time) and street lighting.
The train lines are located below street level and can’t be seen from the street.
The limits of the station defined through the use of unified tiling and fencing. The
space management within this defined area results in a well-kept appearance, with
no litter or graffiti at the entrance to the station or on the platform. There is, however,
graffiti on the fencing opposite the platform. Overall the feeling at the station was very
orderly and well maintained as shown in the following photos.
The station has been redeveloped in recent years but there is no data available yet
as to whether improvements have had an impact on safety and in particular incidents
of offences recorded in and around the station. The area around the station is one
where a high rate of incidents of non-domestic violence related offences are
committed. Many of these incidents are related to nearby alcohol establishments that
are operating with extended hours, and not necessarily related to the station.
5.2
Marrickville Station
Marrickville Station is located within the Marrickville LGA and used regularly by
people in Marrickville. Access to the station platforms is not controlled and is gained
at street level from Station Street, and via stairs from Illawarra Road. The tracks are
fully fenced.
There is CCTV surveillance of the entrance/exit and platforms, but limited natural
surveillance with only one shop and a café on the corner of Station Street. The rest of
Station Street contains closed shops and the back of residential properties fenced
with 1.8m high fences.
The train lines are located below the street level of Illawarra Road but at grade with
Station Street and other surrounding streets, so that natural surveillance of the
platforms is limited. Apartment buildings being developed around the station may
increase natural surveillance of the station platforms.
The station and platforms have emergency help points but no transport officers on
site. It is not known how often transport security officers and Police patrol the station
and surrounds.
The limits of the station are defined through the use of low rail fencing. The space
management within this defined area results in a well-kept appearance, with no litter
13
or graffiti at the entrance to the station or on the platform. There is, however, graffiti
on the fencing opposite the platform and on the fences at the rear of nearby
residential properties and the area outside the station on Station Street is not an
attractive area.
There are plans to redevelop Marrickville Station and provide ticket entry/exit gates
and lift access. It is not know when these will be implemented. The area around the
station is one where a high rate of non-domestic violence related assault, theft and
steal from person are recorded.
5.3
King Street and Enmore Road
King Street and Enmore Road have a large number of small retail businesses. There
also cafés and restaurants, some of which provide outdoor seating. There are some
vacant business premises. There is a large amount of graffiti that is typically found
away from the busy main roads, along side streets and lanes in the residential areas
adjacent to the business areas. There are also a few walls with large street art
pieces. The mall on King Street next to the station was fitted with CCTV and many of
its shops displayed CCTV signage. Some of the alcohol premises have CCTV and
security guards at night. However, other areas of King Street and Enmore Road did
not appear to be equipped with CCTV.
5.4
Illawarra Road and Marrickville Road
Illawarra Road and Marrickville Road have a similar proportion of shops, cafés and
restaurants to King Street and Enmore Road, but less pubs. The pubs are operating
extended hours. The amount of graffiti is considerably less and the amount of
outdoor benches on the streets is comparatively higher.
14
6
STAKEHOLDERS
6.1
Safety issues identified by local businesses and community
organisations

There is a ‘fear of crime’ in general, especially in Newtown and South
Marrickville. Media stories of crime such as bag snatches and shootings fuel
fear. Inadequate street lighting is also leading to a fear of crime at night
particularly at bus stops and railway stations.

South Marrickville including Marrickville station is an area in need of safety
policy implementation. Illawarra Road near Marrickville Station on weekend
evenings is a concern due to numbers of intoxicated people in this area. The
issue of public intoxication was also raised as a concern for Crystal Street,
Petersham.

Concerns for disadvantaged young people in Marrickville who tend to have
difficulties engaging with the local community, education and training.

There are concerns for young people around social media. These concerns
centre on cyber-bullying as well as the legal implications of social media
activity including uploading photos. There is concern as to how these legal
implications can impact on their future.

Domestic violence particularly against women and children is a concern for
key community support organisations in Marrickville.

Road safety is a concern specifically the pedestrian crossing on West St,
Lewisham near Petersham Park and Parramatta Road. It is difficult to see
pedestrians at this crossing and this can cause a significant number of
accidents.

Other road safety issues include uneven footpaths and young cyclists not
sharing footpaths.
Suggestions on ways to improve safety in Marrickville

Community events such as the Saturday markets in Newtown increase a
feeling of connectedness.

Ongoing funding is needed to support growth in the services for young people
in the area. Currently funding is needed to sustain projects that provide after
hours entertainment.

More education is required in schools around respectful relationships and
alcohol and drug use earlier in life. There is a call for realistic drug and alcohol
education such as being given information on how to drink or take drugs
safely as well as what to do in the event of a drug and alcohol related
emergency.

A campaign to encourage young cyclists to use a bell when on the footpaths
and in parks.

Implement Neighbourhood Watch groups.
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6.2

Securing your home whether at home or out by being aware and proactive
about safety. Including using gates and shutters to prevent a break-in.

Employing security guards to the outside of licensed premises as well as
police patrols in car parks and transport premises are viewed as beneficial
and make the community feel safer.
Feedback on the draft Crime Prevention Strategy – LACs and SIM
Committee Members
Stealing of pushbikes has become an issue as more and more people are riding
bikes to work, shops and places of education. People are not using adequate locking
devices – chains can be easily cut with a pair of bolt cutters and does not take long.
The bolt cutters can be carried in a backpack. D locks are more effective. An
education program around the use of D locks in preference to bike chains may be
useful. Insurance statistics may help determine a narrower area of where the risk is.
Involvement in White Ribbon day is one way of addressing domestic violence assault
- local agencies and communities can participate.
Aboriginal victim support group is one way of building capacity of victims to resist
domestic violence related assault. Surveillance cameras in strategic locations, such
as the area around Newtown Station and the Hub, the rail underpass at Petersham
Station and at the top of the stairs at Marrickville Station would be useful in tracking
the movements of offenders.
An analysis on suburb-by-suburb and even at street level would enable Council to
pinpoint and focus on the critical hot spots and sections of the community with more
direct intervention.
The impact of traffic, which is significantly high in Marrickville, is not canvassed in the
Strategy. This has a major impact on personal safety particularly for older residents
that may have dementia, have hearing difficulty or just be slow.
Need to speak to children in schools to address (prevent) drug problems and should
involve local police.
Need to work across Divisions of Council to get a coordinated approach, especially
with crimes such as graffiti, theft encouraged by environmental design and traffic
safety.
Police youth liaison officer to work with CDAT on programs for young drug offenders
Talks on a range of topics with older people in CALD communities has been
successful – could consider a talk around safety from crime – particularly fraud.
Community Affair is a good way of distributing information to a wide range of people
and agencies.
Information sharing among agencies is useful to know what offenders have been
released into the community.
Council could run a “crime prevention day’ similar to ‘white ribbon day’.
A hotline for gullible and lonely people may help avoid scams and fraud for some
people.
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7
MONITORING AND EVALUATING
The key performance indicators of the projects will be the changes in the number of
criminal incidents in the targeted area or in the target population. These rates will be
monitored at regular intervals throughout the projects’ implementation. The strategies
will also be monitored in financial terms so as to keep within a specified budget.
Responsibility for the monitoring and evaluating of the projects will be with
Marrickville Council primarily with the Community Safety Officer in charge of the
projects. Agreement from other relevant agencies regarding access to data will also
be negotiated. Both NLAC and MLAC will be negotiated with to provide data on crime
levels within the specific geographic area where the projects are being conducted.
The timeframes for each of the projects will be at one, two and five years; this is
because the effects of these projects should be seen for a number of years even
after the project has been completed. Reviewing these projects after six months or
one year allows Council and other stakeholders to address issues that may be
occurring and make any necessary changes to ensure the ongoing success of the
projects. As this plan and these projects have been founded upon the statistics
published by BOCSAR, the selected timeframes will give a good comparison
between current and previous data from BOCSAR, as BOCSAR crime trends are
compared both as a two year and a five year trend. This five year review will also
coincide with the review of Marrickville’s Community Safety Plan (2019-2023).
7.1
Evaluation and data collection
Reported crime statistics in the target location will be compared against state wide
trends and trends in neighbouring areas. If the target offence has historically
occurred during particular times of day/year appropriate comparative data will be
used. Situational crime prevention approaches such as CPTED and awareness
campaigns will be evaluated by the difference in criminal incidents in the target site in
comparison to criminal incidents in a site within the hot spot that is not taking part in
the project (e.g. control site). Data will also be collected from residents and users of
the target areas regarding their opinions about the project focussing on comparing
their feelings of safety in the area before and after the implementation of the project.
Research will be conducted throughout the process of the project to monitor
demographic, land use and activity changes to the target areas to ensure the
correlation between crime changes and the implemented project. Police data will also
be used to guarantee no displacement of offending or an increase in another offence
type in the target location.
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8
CRIME PREVENTION ACTION PLAN
Target Offence:
Steal from dwelling/break and enter dwelling/other theft
Project:
Audits of dwellings and public domain in hotspots with recommendations for improvement and subsidised provision
of anti-theft devices in conjunction with a community awareness campaign through local media and social media
Rationale:
Audits, recommendations and security devices will raise awareness of individual householders to improve their
crime prevention actions
A media campaign through community radio, local press and social media will reach a wide local audience
Signage in signage in strategic locations will act as a constant reminder to lock doors and windows and maintain
surveillance
Objective:
Reduce incidents of steal from dwelling/break and enter dwelling by 10% over the next two years (1July 2015 to 30
June 2017)
Lead Agency and Partners:
Marrickville Council, MLAC, NLAC
Expected Outcome:
Reduction in the area and density of hotspots over the two year period (1 July 2015 to 30 June 2017)
Sustained reduction of 10% in incidents of steal from dwelling/break and enter dwelling
Action
Housing and public domain audits in hotspots
using the CPTED principles - Identify security
and surveillance weaknesses and provide
eligible households with subsidies to install
security devices (such as door and window
locks)
Performance measures
Number of audits undertaken
Time frames
Number of recommendations implemented
Six months to
finalise audits &
provide advice
Number of dwellings advised to fit security
devices
Review in six &
twelve months
Number of dwellings that improve surveillance
and outdoor security (such as bin location)
Funding required
$25 000 to employ
project officer one
day per week for 12
months
Milestones
Audits undertaken
Advice provided to householders
Agreement to fit devices as advised
Security device
subsidies: $100 x
100 dwellings =
$10 000
Agreement to improve surveillance
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Action
Performance measures
Time frames
Funding required
Milestones
Six months to
distribute and fit
devices – concurrent
with audits
Installation: 1 hour at
$50 x 100 dwellings
= $5000
All security devices fitted
No cost – Council to
supply staff time
Initial campaign undertaken
Subsidised devices to dwellings that have
been audited
100 dwellings fitted with security devices
Undertake media campaign to raise
community awareness
Number of broadcasts, articles, tweets, views
and shares
Monitor and record
events weekly
Number of written feedback and responses
Provide a quarterly
report
Target Offence:
Non-domestic violence related assault
Project:
Distribution of promotional material at alcohol and entertainment venues and on nearby streets. Licensing police will
distribute paper cups or reusable plastic bottles with water and message printed on them – reusable plastic bottles
will be given to certain licensed premises to encourage the consumption of water and other non-alcoholic
beverages. The plastic bottles will be printed with messages to remind patrons of the dangers of intoxication and
anti-social behaviour. Target peak periods around alcohol and entertainment hotspots
Rationale:
The increase in the availability of water and non-alcoholic beverages during the later hours of the evening at
licensed premises combined with the reminders of patron responsibilities and penalties that apply for breaches of
licensing and criminal laws should help to reduce alcohol consumption at these times. This should in turn reduce
alcohol related and crowd related violence in and around these premises. The reminders printed on the cups should
also act as a reminder for the staff at these premises to utilise and abide by their RSA training. This project relates
to the special conditions imposed on some venues by the Liquor Act 2007.
Objective:
Reduce incidents of non-domestic violence related assault by 10% over the next two years (1 July 2015 to 30 June
2017)
Lead Agency and Partners:
Council, NLAC, Newtown Liquor Accord, Newtown Local Businesses (Venue management task group).
Expected Outcome:
Reduction in the area and density of hotspots over the two year period (1 July 2015 to 30 June 2017)
Sustained reduction of 10% in incidents of non-domestic violence related assault
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Action
Agree on message content and obtain materials
Performance measures
Required promotional materials obtained on
time and within budget
Time frames
Number of broadcasts, articles, tweets, views
and shares
Milestones
Three months
5 000 500ml
plastic bottles x
$1.00 each =
$5000
Promotional materials produced and
delivered to NLAC
From beginning
of second
month
No cost – Council
to supply staff
time
Initial campaign undertaken
No additional
cost for police on
duty
All promotional material distributed
Agreement of all partners on messages
Undertake media campaign to raise victim and
offender awareness
Funding
required
Activity each month for six months
Feedback from police
Response from patrons recorded
Distribute promotional materials and talk with patrons
Number of venues covered
Number of streets and lanes covered
Monthly
throughout
campaign
Weekly form
beginning of
fourth month to
end of sixth
month
Council staff time
to observe,
monitor and
report 100 hours
at $50 per hour =
$5000
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