Page 821 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 9 March 2005
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Again, we praise the Isaacs Neighbourhood Watch and thank them for the work they are doing.
On a more personal level, this scheme allows people to become familiar with crime prevention ideas that help keep the home and belongings safe. Members might be interested to know that Manly Council have what is called “meet your street”. I recently spoke about a neighbour day, which I have written to the minister about, and he may still be considering that idea. Again, all of these things are ways in which we can support existing groups like the Isaacs group and like the recently formed Curtin branch of Neighbourhood Watch.
Neighbourhood Watch schemes also allow for greater consultation of local police. My colleague Mr Pratt may be speaking on that aspect, too. Most crime is opportunistic, committed on the spur of the moment. We all identify the traditional scope of the scheme, where neighbours look out for any suspicious activity in the neighbourhood, but more can be done. Targeting local problems, such as vandalism or graffiti, are well within the scope of a well-organised watch scheme. Fitting more secure door or window locks in vulnerable homes or improvements in street lighting are good examples of further efforts. Of course, having a branch there, being the eyes and ears of that community, can achieve many of the things that Mr Mulcahy alluded to in a suburb like Isaacs.
It is often the case that a home that has been burgled is more likely to be burgled again than a home that has not. If it does happen, it is likely to be within the next few weeks. After all, a burglar has been into the home, found the weak points in its security and had a good look at the contents and layout. So stepping up the security of a burgled home straightaway can prevent a further crime.
Neighbourhood Watch schemes can tackle this problem by forming protective cocoons around burgled homes. Immediate neighbours can keep an eye on the targeted home, to be especially watchful for a few weeks and to report anything suspicious to the police. Where these cocoons have been set up following a burglary, they can have a dramatic impact on preventing another crime in the high-risk period. I urge the government to continue to promote Neighbourhood Watch and to support their efforts wherever possible. I am sure the minister is committed to that. We want to see more of them, not less. It is really great that we have this motion on the notice paper today.
I quickly want to mention young people in Neighbourhood Watch. We must not forget our younger generation here. Young people are particularly vulnerable to certain types of crime and have their own perspective on which crimes matter most. Encouragement is the key and perhaps a youth action group could be attached to a senior Neighbourhood Watch scheme or a local school to deal with areas of crime that are more likely to affect young people. Young people themselves can be the driving force of these groups, but they can benefit and take their plans further with help and support from adult groups such as Neighbourhood Watch. I know that Mr Mulcahy himself has young teenage children and they may be interested in following through on that particular idea.
In turn, Neighbourhood Watch schemes can get an accurate picture of youth crime in the neighbourhood and can tap into an energetic resource to tackle such problems as alcohol and substance misuse, personal safety, aggression and violence, car crime, vandalism and
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