Premier orders blitz to counter rising crime in NSW bush
The NSW government is under increasing pressure to find solutions to rising crime across the regions, with mayors and locals calling for more police resources and an overhaul of the state’s bail laws.
NSW
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In response to a wave of stabbings, vehicle thefts and home robberies across regional NSW, Premier Chris Minns has launched a fact-finding blitz, tasking multiple government agencies to immediately look at how to best tackle the crime surge.
It comes just days after The Telegraph revealed the crime epidemic has left towns crying out for more 24-hour police stations to tackle the rise in serious crime.
The cabinet office has been tasked with leading a multi-government response with the Police department, Youth Justice, Regional NSW, the Attorney-General’s office and the Department of Families and Community Services.
It comes after Mr Minns spent two hours at Cobham Youth Justice Centre in Sydney’s west on Monday, as part of a fact-finding mission talking with staff and youth about how the detention centre works and what they do in regards to crime intervention.
The centre is one of six in the state and currently holds about 65 young male offenders, aged between 15 and 21.
Additionally, the Premier’s department secretary will visit Moree this week following Mr Minns’ snap visit last Thursday to discuss what community programs would be effective in tacking youth crime.
“All options are on the table,” Mr Minns said.
“We know that regional communities are very concerned about this issue and that change is needed.”
Mr Minns told Moree Mayor Mark Johnson last week he would return to the northern NSW town with a comprehensive plan to fight crime.
The NSW government is under increasing pressure to find solutions to rising crime across the regions, with mayors and locals calling for more police resources and an overhaul of the state’s bail laws.
Tamworth Mayor Russell Webb called on the government to look at fixing the judicial system, which sees kids as young as 10 arrested multiple times and then immediately released back to the streets.
“It is the judicial system that is failing us in many ways – the kids get pulled up by the cops but then the courts throw them out because there are no diversionary programs,” Mr Russell said.
“We need to see government funding for diversionary programs, places where they can be sent to a safe environment where they can get fed and receive things like career help.”
Dubbo resident Tristan Cameron, 33, has had his house and car broken into on average every two months since he moved to the Central West town two years ago.
He believed the majority of perpetrators were children and teenagers.
“The robberies were so frequent our neighbour wouldn’t even bother locking his car – he’d just empty it every night because they would break into it anyway,” he said.
In December last year while parked on the main street of Dubbo at 9pm, three kids destroyed Mr Cameron’s car, not even attempting to steal it.
“There was about $4000 worth of damage,” he said.
“I don’t know why anyone would do it, they destroyed it for no reason at all.”
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