La Perouse, Phillip Bay hoons: High tech plan to stop streets used as racetracks
Unruly hoons gathering and causing mayhem in Sydney’s eastern suburbs are being put on watch as part of new plan that could prove costly for speedsters.
Southern Courier
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Speeding motorists and motorbike riders disturbing the peace at Phillip Bay and La Perouse are being put on notice under a planned crackdown on hoons.
Randwick Council is set to become the second Australian council to install smart technology aimed at deterring car racing, burn outs, engine revving and other anti-social behaviour in the residential area.
The smart technology would involve cameras fixed in strategic locations and equipped with licence plate recognition software that would be able to identify drivers.
The footage would enable Randwick Council to serve infringement notices and forward footage to police who could issue criminal charges where applicable.
Bayside Council was the first to roll out the software earlier this year following a spike in resident complaints about hoons along the Botany Bay foreshore.
Randwick councillors at this week’s meeting supported investigating rolling out the technology in La Perouse and Philip Bay with the potential for more suburbs to follow.
Resident Carol Abela said hooning behaviour has been a perennial concern for the local community.
“It used to be hoons and the doof-doofs but now we also have packs of motorbikes as well – we can’t sleep,” she said.
“It would be preferable if the technology could also record the unbearable noise the hoons make as it may stop the drivers who go up and down Anzac Pde at 2.30am in the morning making as much noise and nuisances as they can.”
The planned crackdown comes after police carried out a series of high profile operations earlier this year targeting dangerous driving and traffic offences from La Perouse to Ramsgate.
In one night of the operation in January, eight criminal charges were issued, along with 73 traffic infringement notices, 36 car defect notices, and three cars were impounded by police.
Randwick Councillor Danny Said hopes the new technology could address the issue once and for all.
“Over the last four years the council has done well putting in traffic devices – we’re doing our best to stop this doof-doofing but there’s continuing to be anti-social behaviour whether it be with cars or loud music in the middle of the night or on motorbikes,” he said.
“The CCTV cameras would be an important way this part of our community can sleep at night.”
At Monday’s council meeting, councillors also supported requesting increased patrols of the area from Eastern Suburbs Police.
Councillor Carlos Da Rocha said police operations that involved hoons issued defect notices had proved successful.
“It teaches them a lesson because a lot of the cars are deemed unroadworthy and that alone forces them to spend a lot of money returning cars back to how they should have been,” he said.
“It didn't stop it, but slowed it.”
Bayside Council said the technology has proved effective in its council area with police “taking successful action” and “dangerous drivers held to account” since cameras were installed.
The council said it also has also seen a “significant reduction” in the number of complaints from the community.
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