Page 1794 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 5 May 2010

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video

(b) the important role that is played by Neighbourhood Watch, which is a valuable component of the overall crime prevention activity that is undertaken by the community in association with the police;

(c) that Tuggeranong and Woden account for approximately 52 per cent of the total number of criminal incidents in the ACT; and

(d) the ACT government’s lack of substantial ongoing support for Neighbourhood Watch which does not allow the program to operate effectively as it might; and

(2) calls on the government to:

(a) explore ways to better partner with Neighbourhood Watch, especially in higher crime areas such as Tuggeranong and Woden;

(b) work productively with the Neighbourhood Watch program to improve the effectiveness of the program and, through it, safety of the community; and

Last Saturday the Canberra Times carried a front page story by David Stockman headlined “Woden capital’s crime hot spot” and I quote from that article:

Police in Woden have been Canberra’s busiest according to a suburban breakdown of crime across the city.

The region, including the inner south and Weston, recorded the highest reports of burglary, car theft, property damage and theft in March.

The city precinct recorded the highest rates of assaults and sexual offences, with Belconnen police receiving the most reports of robberies.

Our ACT residents have a right to feel safe in their neighbourhoods and, while our hardworking ACT police are trying valiantly to assure that safety with the manpower at their disposal, it is a difficult task.

I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the contribution of a very effective group of community-based individuals—volunteers who work within many suburbs in Canberra—the Neighbourhood Watch groups of the ACT.

As we already know, Neighbourhood Watch groups work with the police to not only help keep our neighbourhoods safe; they also impart a sense of community and belonging by improving the flow of information between the police and the local community. The Neighbourhood Watch volunteers keep our communities informed of crime in their local neighbourhood as well as policing issues impacting the community. Their interaction with the local police and the reporting of crime statistics in their local suburbs have enabled the communities to be aware of what is happening in their local area so they can take preventative measures.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video