Night rangers crackdown on anti-social behaviour at Manly’s East Esplanade Reserve
NIGHT rangers have begun patrolling a popular beachside reserve in a bid to crack down on anti-social behaviour — but it comes as the council has also extended drinking hours at the Sydney hotspot.
Manly
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NIGHT rangers have begun patrolling East Esplanade Reserve to crack down on anti-social behaviour at the area referred to by locals as a “pop-up pub”.
Northern Beaches councillors were told that on Saturday night rangers split up groups of more than 40 people drinking in the area, known as The Office, on multiple occasions.
It follows a council decision to extend the legal drinking hours from 4.30pm to 8pm in East Esplanade while increasing night ranger presence.
Nearby residents had been concerned about large groups drinking in the area and using nearby property as toilets.
An email sent to councillors, residents and the police from council’s compliance executive manager Neil Williamson said: “I can advise that the night rangers were working on Saturday evening and dealt with large groups of people drinking (40-plus) at around 9pm.
“Alcohol was disposed of and then the people moved on. Again at around 11pm a further group of 10 or more people were approached and alcohol was disposed of and the people moved on.”
In the email he said rangers were working from 6pm to 11pm.
“Unfortunately these were not the rangers staff that have been providing cover on previous Saturdays and they misunderstood the agreed protocols,” he wrote.
“While they observed large numbers of people drinking they failed to call in the police, believing the police were due to patrol.
“We will be following up as a matter of urgency to ensure that all staff providing cover on Saturdays have been adequately briefed on protocols.”
Cr Pat Daley criticised the extension of hours as a danger to police and council rangers.
He said last weekend proved the plan was “a mess” and the area should have a blanket 24-hour ban.
“As I thought, expecting rangers and or police to come in and disperse people when they are intoxicated after giving them another four hours to drink is I believe putting them in unnecessary danger,” he said.
But his fellow Manly ward councillors Sarah Grattan and Deputy mayor Candy Bingham disagreed.
“The (ranger) manager is going back and redoing training and discussions with the teams to make sure everything and everyone is on the same page,” Cr Grattan said.
“I am confident it will all be sorted out and we will have a reasonable solution.”
Cr Bingham said she was already seeing positive results. “It has been very good I went down there a few times, the place was pretty much deserted around 9.30pm,” she said.
