A system for crime recording is being initiated by the Community Centre. Everyone is encouraged to let the Centre know of any criminal activity, vandalism, unruly behaviour, etc, particularly during weekends, by completing a written report for the centre on Monday mornings.
We all know the situation at present, where we’re supposed to report all incidences of crime to the police so that they can take action against the culprits. But the police cannot take action against vandals unless they catch them and they can’t catch them because they are not always present in the town, and because they are not always present in the town, we have to use the Police Assistance Line to report all incidences of crime so that the police can take action…
We have been informed on many occasions, through the Neighbourhood Committees, that police presence in the Helensburgh area is directly related to the low incidence of reported crime in the area (in comparison to the “hot spots” of Wollongong). Decisions about the level of police resources are weighed up against areas of highest need. We have also been informed that all incidences of crime must be reported and in doing this we will build up crime statistics for the area. We all know that a lot of crime goes unreported because there is a perception in the community that it’s not worth it because nothing gets done.
In an effort to assist the community to be more proactive about crime reporting, Helensburgh Community Centre is providing a means to bring attention to the amount of crime and vandalism, particularly during weekends, to the police. Everyone is encouraged to use the report forms at the centre to record any incidence of crime. Written reports will be collected on Monday mornings and at the end of the day they will be forwarded to the police. Reports can be faxed on 4294 9063 or submitted in writing to Rosemary Edwards, the community centre coordinator. Reports must include the date, approximate time, nature of the incident, location of the incident and a contact name and address of the “witness”.
The intention is to provide a simple method of recording crime regularly - weekly reports will highlight the level of crime in the area, bringing attention to the amount of unsavoury behaviour that we have to tolerate in our parks, streets and public places. THIS WILL NOT BE AN OFFICIAL NOTIFICATION OF CRIME - people will still need to ring the Police if they want them to take any action: ring 131 444. Management Committee, Helensburgh Community Centre.