Tuesday, 12 November 2024

Community safety

Roma BRITNELL (South-West Coast) (19:08): (915) My adjournment matter is to the Minister for Police, and the action I seek is to strengthen the bail and move-on powers and to give police effective tools to manage antisocial behaviour. Unfortunately the number of incidents of public nuisance behaviours, thefts, violence, vandalism, public drunkenness and other acts of intimidation on the streets of Warrnambool has exploded. A small number of people are holding the town to ransom. Whilst traders understand the mental health issues that are often underlying these behaviours, they are at their wits end. Traders are very concerned about the safety of their staff, customers and themselves.

The police are trying their best and have increased foot patrols, but without the necessary tools and laws the problem does not get solved. There is a continuous cycle of offending by a core group of individuals. Following the change to public drunkenness laws the avenue available to local police is to drive the offender to the drunk tank in Collingwood. Recently a man smashed a shop window in a cafe which had just been taken over by a new owner, and he was taken into custody by the police and then bailed. Two days later he was walking up the street and saw a lady with an infant in a pram. He was heard to say, ‘I’m going to kick that baby,’ which he did. He then smashed another window by throwing his skateboard through it. Again he was taken into custody by the police and bailed yet again.

If a person is prepared to attack a baby, it begs the question: what are they capable of doing next? Yet he was bailed. No wonder the mother of the baby is scared. Two days later he was again causing havoc in the shopping precinct, holding up traffic and causing mayhem through his intimidating behaviour. In another example last week, a shop assistant called the police and ambulance eight days in a row for the same person each day. On four of those days she was unconscious on the footpath.

The emergency services personnel do not have the tools, laws or facilities to handle the complex issues at stake here. These are people who urgently need mental services intervention. Their behaviour whilst not receiving treatment is negatively impacting the daily lives of traders and the public. There are no boundaries, consequences or treatment given to them, so their behaviours continue like a revolving door. But this is terrifying to the honest people who are trying to work in the shops amid all this frightening intimidation going on around them on a daily basis. This is why I have been campaigning for stronger police laws and for a rehabilitation facility in South-West Coast.

This week the traders are launching a petition to gather public support for the strengthening of laws so that the police can do their job. The petition will be in many businesses around Warrnambool, so I encourage people to get out, support the traders and sign it. That way we will keep the pressure on the government so they change the laws.