Council assures residents CCTV is helping to make the CBD ‘safer’
Crime and anti-social activity in the city centre has been a controversial issue after a business owner shared shocking photos of the remnants of drug use in public toilets.
Coffs Harbour
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Council has come forward to assure the Coffs Coast community that it has fulfilled its commitment to install CCTV cameras in the Coffs CBD, following heavy speculation on social media.
Crime and anti-social activity in the city centre has been a controversial issue among residents over the last few days, after a business owner shared some shocking photos showing discarded needles and other drug paraphernalia in public toilets.
Nikki Williams said that she understood it was a complex issue, but she and others have “had a gutful” of the drug problem in town.
“I know there is a far bigger issue at play for many of these people, however we as businesses deserve to trade in a safe, friendly and welcoming environment also,” Ms Williams said.
“I’m sick of having my stuff stolen, my staff harassed and my clients avoid the area and I’m not alone. Frankly many of us have had a gutful.”
Ms William’s images on a local Facebook group were met with speculation as to whether the Coffs Harbour City Council had stuck to its promise to install CCTV cameras as part of the SafeCoffs project announced in 2018.
The $900,000 SafeCoffs project was announced soon after Council completed installation of six CCTV cameras and 53 security lights at crime hotspot Park Beach.
Council has since come forward with a statement to assure locals that CCTV and security lighting were installed in City Square, Park Avenue Car Park and Park Avenue Lane in 2019 and 2020, as well as in Toormina and Brelsford Park.
“The CCTV camera placements and lighting have encouraged broader connection with those spaces as people feel safer in public areas when they can see and interact with others with the added support of CCTV footage if needed.”
These works had come soon after a crime forum was held at the council chambers in 2018, where local police urged Council to install CCTV cameras and better lighting in the CBD to help ease the criminal activity taking place, particularly in the Park Avenue area.
Officers had conducted a safety audit of the area, which had long been one of Coffs’ most notorious areas for crime, and presented councillors with a slideshow of disturbing images showing alcohol bottles, used needles, dumped shopping trolleys and even urine stains.
Inspector Brendan Gorman at the time revealed malicious damage, steal from retail store, break and enter and alcohol-related assaults were common crimes.
“People don’t feel safe in this area. Whether there is actual crime occuring or not, there is a feeling of unease.”
Following the forum Council announced over $900,000 in grant funding would be used to install the cameras, with Mayor Cr Denise Knight hoping it would help cultivate more “family-friendly” areas.
Council this week said the CCTV cameras and security lighting have helped provided the community with a safer and more “liveable” CBD, using Brelsford Park as an example.
“The combination of appropriate lighting, which is set on a timer at night with a warning 15 mins before turning off, as well as CCTV, have contributed to a dramatic increase in use of the skate park and an expansion of the demographic using the park.
“Parents with younger children now use the skate park in the mornings before school whilst all age groups, including workers skating after work, use the skate park after dark.”
As part of the grant funding better lighting was also installed at the Community Village, and solar lighting along the shared pathway on Hogbin Dr and at Park Ave Ln.
In Toormina, the CCTV cameras and lighting have been installed at the Velodrome, skate park and Toormina Oval.
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