Blacktown City Crime Prevention Plan 2017-2021 - Attachment 1 - CL370037
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Attachment 1 - CL370037
Blacktown City
Crime Prevention Plan
2017-2021
Blacktown City Crime Prevention Plan 2017 2
Table of Contents Mayoral foreword ................................................................................................................................... 5 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 7 Action plan ............................................................................................................................................. 9 Focused strategy ............................................................................................................................... 10 Collaborative action ......................................................................................................................... 10 Integrated response .......................................................................................................................... 11 Monitoring and evaluation ............................................................................................................... 11 Priority crime categories ....................................................................................................................... 12 Priority area 1: Domestic violence ................................................................................................. 13 Priority area 2: Fraud ..................................................................................................................... 17 Priority area 3: Opportunistic crime .............................................................................................. 19 Demographic and data analysis ........................................................................................................... 25 Our City ............................................................................................................................................. 26 Our approach to crime prevention .................................................................................................. 27 Developing our Crime Prevention Plan ............................................................................................. 28 Crime profile ..................................................................................................................................... 29 Crime data analysis ........................................................................................................................... 29 Twenty five techniques of situational crime prevention .................................................................. 30 Using crime statistics ....................................................................................................................... 32 Crime data ............................................................................................................................................. 33 References ............................................................................................................................................ 47 Blacktown City Crime Prevention Plan 2017 3
Blacktown City Crime Prevention Plan 2017 4
Mayoral foreword
Community safety is everyone’s business. Our
Crime Prevention Plan 2017-2021 provides a
strategy to prevent or reduce crime throughout
the City through a range of collaborative,
community-based approaches. These include:
awareness raising, advocacy, policy
development, service development and
community development.
The Plan targets key crime categories identified
by our 3 NSW Police Local Area Commands -
Blacktown, Quakers Hill and Mount Druitt. The
categories centre on assault, robbery, break
and enter, motor vehicle theft, steal and
malicious damage to property.
The Plan includes an analysis of each category,
relevant statistics, comments from the 3 Police
Local Area Commands and an action plan.
We developed the Plan in partnership with the
Police Local Area Commands, and with the
active involvement of local organisations and
Government agencies. We wish to
acknowledge the oversight of the Community
Safety Advisory Committee in its development.
This Blacktown City Crime Prevention Plan is
an important part of our City’s commitment to
becoming a safer community.
Blacktown City Crime Prevention Plan 2017 5
Blacktown City Crime Prevention Plan 2017 6
Introduction
Community safety is not only about reducing
and preventing injury and crime; it is about
building a strong, cohesive, vibrant and
participatory community that works together to
address factors impacting physical, social and
environmental well-being.
The extent to which people feel safe, whether
as a perception or a reality, will be critical to
the way they feel and interact in their
community.
A safe community is therefore a liveable
community, where people can go about their
daily activities in an environment without fear
or risk of harm. It is a place in which it is
attractive to live, work and visit.
This Crime Prevention Plan sets out how
Blacktown City is creating a respectful, healthy
and safe city – a City of Excellence. It outlines
a framework for a safe community in which all
sectors of the community work together in a
coordinated and collaborative way. This
includes forming partnerships to promote
safety, manage risk, increase overall safety
and reduce the fear of harm.
This Plan is supported by the Community
Safety Advisory Committee; a coalition of
community, business, government and non-
government leaders. They combine their
resources and interests to address local
concerns about injuries, crashes, anti-social
behaviour and crime in a co-ordinated and
sustainable manner.
Blacktown City Crime Prevention Plan 2017 7
Blacktown City Crime Prevention Plan 2017 8
Blacktown City
Crime Prevention Plan
2017-2021
Action plan
Blacktown City Crime Prevention Plan 2017 9
This action plan describes the crime and environmental well-being of people within
intervention strategies we, and our Blacktown City.
collaborative agencies, will be involved in
The Committee recognises that both the
during the current term of Council. It
perception and reality of safety - physically,
recognises the need for interventions
socially and environmentally - is critical to the
addressing both the perception and the reality
way people engage with their community.
of crime.
Residents have an expectation of being able to
The actions ensure a broad approach to both live in their community without fear or risk of
preventing and addressing crime, and are not harm.
restrictive in scope. We will, with our
The aim of the Committee is not only about
community partners, undertake activities not
reducing and preventing injury and crime, it is
listed in this Plan as the need and opportunity
also about building a strong, cohesive, vibrant,
arise. Some actions contained in this Plan will
participatory community – a City of Excellence.
have, at best, an attributional impact on crime.
Local government can provide a lead role in This has entailed coordinating overlapping
ensuring coordinated situational crime government programs and developing existing
prevention strategies in response to certain multi-agency strategies as steps toward
crime categories. To be effective these achieving Pan-Pacific International Safe
strategies need to be: Community accreditation.
• focused on an identified crime category Committee members include residents and
• collaborative and conducted in partnership key agencies with an interest in issues
with other agencies affecting community safety:
• integrated into a broad community safety • Blacktown City Council
strategy • NSW Police Force
• monitored and evaluated. • NSW Family and Community Services
• NSW Health (Diabetes Taskforce)
Focused strategy • NSW Family and Community Services -
Housing
We have included a limited number of
• NSW State Emergency Services
intervention strategies. They apply to our local
• NSW Fire and Rescue
crime rates and are able to be implemented by
• Blacktown/Mount Druitt Hospitals
local government.
• Outer West Domestic Violence Network
For each strategy, we identify: • GEO Group/Parklea Correctional Centre
• the target crime category • Australian Drug Foundation
• what the project will actually do • Sex Workers Outreach Project
• the project crime reduction objective • Community Resource Network
• the rationale • Women’s Activities & Self Help House
• performance measures and timeframes • SydWest Multicultural Services
• the project partners. • Rotary Club of Blacktown City
• Blacktown Family Relationship Centre
Collaborative action • St Vincent de Paul Society
Our collaborative approach to community • Communities 4 Children
safety is a central objective of the Community • Mission Australia
Safety Advisory Committee which was formed • local residents
in late 1994. The Committee comprises • local community health centres.
residents and representatives of government Our Safer Communities Coordinator serves as
and non-government organisations. The role of the executive officer of the Committee.
the Committee is to facilitate community
collaboration and to advise Council on a broad
range of factors to improve the physical, social
Blacktown City Crime Prevention Plan 2017 10Integrated response Monitoring and evaluation
Our response to crime in our local area is one The Community Safety Advisory Committee is
component of our broader approach to responsible for ongoing monitoring and
community safety. Our broader approach puts evaluation of this Plan.
crime prevention alongside other strategies
We will seek the Attorney General’s
promoting:
endorsement of our crime prevention strategy
• physical and emotional safety
as a safer community compact. We will then
• social and economic inclusion report to the Attorney General within the terms
• environmental and cultural sustainability. of the endorsement.
The table below outlines how this Crime
Prevention Plan integrates with our other
strategies and forums to address specific
crime categories.
Homelessness
Development
Partnerships
Management
Management
Prevention
Economic
Area of Crime
Domestic
Violence
Working
Strategy
Strategy
Material
Graffiti
Traffic
Group
Youth
Crime
Plan
Plan
Plan
Plan
Aid
Domestic Violence
Assault
– domestic violence
Fraud
Fraud
Opportunistic crime
Robbery
Assault
– non-domestic violence
Steal
– from dwelling
Steal
– from motor vehicle
Steal
– from person
Steal
– from retail store
Break and enter
– dwelling
Break and enter
– non-dwelling
Motor vehicle theft
Malicious damage to
property
Blacktown City Crime Prevention Plan 2017 11Priority crime categories
The priority crime categories in this Plan were • the category of offence was identified by
identified through statistical analysis of crime Police Local Area Commands as of
data, consultations with our 3 Police Local current operational interest
Area Commands, and discussions with a • recorded incidents demonstrated an
range of stakeholders. increasing or stable trend over a 5-year
Priority crime categories meet the following period
criteria: • the category ranked within the top 2
quartiles of Local Government Areas in
NSW in the past 5 years.
Crime group Offence 5 year
trend
Priority area 1 Domestic violence related offences Assault – domestic violence Up
Domestic account for up to 40% of Police call-
violence outs across the City. Not all call-outs
result in a recorded offence. Where Breach Apprehended Violence Up
offences are recorded, they may fall Order
into a number of categories and
Break and enter – dwelling Down
include where identifiable: alcohol
related domestic violence assault, Harassment, threatening Stable
and malicious damage as a result of behaviour and private nuisance
domestic violence.
Malicious damage to property Down
Priority area 2 Identity theft through mail box theft, Fraud Stable
Fraud fraud, cyber-fraud and skimming is
becoming more prevalent, especially
in new release areas.
Reporting of these offences through
financial and other institutions can
result in under-reported local
incidents.
This Plan prioritises emerging trends
in fraud, cyber fraud and mailbox
theft.
Priority area 3 Consultations identified a concern on Robbery Down
Opportunistic a range of crimes committed by youth
offenders. These crimes, often Steal – from dwelling Stable
crime
involving theft or malicious damage, Steal – from motor vehicle Stable
are opportunistic in nature. These
offences are particularly appropriate Steal – from person Down
for a response utilising situational
Steal – from retail store Down
crime prevention.
This Plan prioritises opportunistic Break and enter – non-dwelling Down
crime, especially crime and anti-social Motor vehicle theft Stable
behavior associated with youth.
Malicious damage to property Down
Blacktown City Crime Prevention Plan 2017 12Priority area 1: Domestic violence
Family and domestic violence is often referred tended to focus on and stigmatise offenders
to as a scourge on society. This use of medical rather than the issue. Similarly, targeted
terminology to describe events, more often campaigns against litterers (‘Don’t be a
discussed from a legal and policing viewpoint, tosser’) and ‘hoon’ drivers (little finger) have
highlights the extraordinary complexity of this also reported little measurable effect.
issue for any community.
In comparison, the highly successful, culture
Family and domestic violence is a complex changing campaigns tackling smoking and
issue in Blacktown City. We have the highest seat belt usehighlighted the benefits and
number of incidents of domestic violence addressed the issue rather than stigmatising
related assault of any local government area in the offender.
NSW – 2,083 in the year to March 2017.
Our Mayor and General Manager have been
Our approach
very public in their leadership of campaigns to We have been proactive in addressing family
address this crime category.The current rate of and domestic violence on a number of fronts,
this offence, by any measure, is unacceptable. including:
• actively promoting, forming and joining
Compounding the situation, as Kishor and
local coalitions of agencies to address
other health professionals note, is that family
various aspects of family and domestic
and domestic violence is ‘not a scourge like
violence
most other scourges; its harmful effects do not
• funding domestic violence services and
disappear with the generation that was directly
programs
involved. The scourge will be resurrected in
• holding vigils for victims of fatal domestic
every successive generation, unless we treat it
violence assaults
as a public health emergency and make
• supporting early intervention programs in
concerted efforts to eliminate it.’ (Kishor, 2005,
p 78). local schools
• branding a garbage truck and our vehicle
We are therefore dealing with a complex, fleet with white ribbon messaging
generational social issue requiring a broad, • achieving White Ribbon Australia
multi-faceted response comprised of, but not Workplace Accreditation
limited to: • organising an anti-domestic violence
• policing interventions to address crime contingent in our annual Blacktown
• legislative interventions to strengthen Festival
judicial processes • lobbying for increased and continuing
• health interventions to address immediate funding for local services
and ongoing physical and mental harm • installation of anti-domestic violence street
• human services initiatives to create banners on major thoroughfares.
frontline support services
• community initiatives to create cultural Our aim
change.
Our aim, with family and domestic violence, is
to continue to work toward:
Awareness raising • effective change within the culture of our
Local and statewide awareness raising community to no longer tolerate or accept
campaigns, have resulted in an increased family violence in any form
reporting of incidents of family and domestic • campaigning and messaging that
violence. There is, however, no evidence that promotes openness and reporting without
public messaging and anti-violence campaigns stigmatising those who may need
have impacted the community to achieve a assistance.
broader cultural shift. Media campaigns have
Blacktown City Crime Prevention Plan 2017 13Crime cluster
Offences within this • Assault – domestic violence
crime cluster • Breach Apprehended Violence Order
• Break and enter – dwelling
• Harassment, threatening behaviour and private nuisance
• Malicious damage to property.
Rationale Data reported by program partners includes:
• up to 40% of Police response across the City involve domestic violence
• 17.1% of malicious damage to property is domestic violence related
• approximately 26% of domestic violence assault is alcohol related
• 52% of domestic violence related assaults were committed by the victim’s
spouse/partner (including their ex-partner/spouse)
• domestic violence incidents may result in charges for multiple offences.
Significant initiatives have been taken at the levels of:
• legislation and law enforcement
• community services programs
• collaborative community action.
Blacktown City actively collaborates with:
• Outer West Domestic Violence Network
• Blacktown is United Against Domestic Violence
• Blacktown Domestic Violence Interagency
• The Mount Druitt WASH House
• Blacktown Women’s and Girls’ Health Centre.
Blacktown City monitors domestic violence activity and offences through its:
• Community Safety Advisory Committee
• Women’s Advisory Committee
• Aboriginal Advisory Committee
• Multicultural Advisory Committee
• Youth Advisory Committee.
Objectives • Support strategies changing the culture of our community to no longer
tolerate or accept family violence in any form.
• Support campaigns and messaging promoting openness and reporting
without stigmatising those who may need assistance.
• Support local agencies to provide effective service to the range of people
affected by family and domestic violence within Blacktown City.
• Support faith bodies to respond appropriately to disclosure of family
violence within their communities.
Blacktown City Crime Prevention Plan 2017 14Target crime Project description Project objective Outcome, measures and Collaboration
timeframe
Assault – domestic violence Distribute coasters and posters in To reduce the incidence of • Increased awareness of the • Blacktown City Council
related (incorporating alcohol local licensed establishments domestic violence related link between alcohol and • Outer West Domestic
related domestic violence assault during the 16 Days of Activism assault, alcohol related domestic domestic violence.
and malicious damage to Against Domestic Violence to violence and malicious damage Violence Network
Measure: survey.
property). educate on the link between to property as a result of • Domestic Violence Service
alcohol and domestic violence. domestic violence. Timeframe: before and after
campaign. Management - Refuge,
Outreach, Action, Response
• Men joining domestic violence (ROAR)
behaviour change programs. • DVSM ROAR
Measure: participation rates.
Timeframe: before and after • NSW Family and Community
campaign. Services Family Violence
Team
• Educate licensed liquor outlets
• Relationships Australia NSW
on the effects and number of
incidents of alcohol related • Local licensed establishments
domestic violence assaults. • Community Safety Advisory
Measure: survey. Committee.
Timeframe: before and after
campaign.
Assault – domestic violence Conduct and support a range of To reduce the incidence of • Increased awareness of the • Blacktown City Council
awareness raising activities domestic violence related assault incidence of family and • Outer West Domestic
during the 16 Days of Activism as a result of increased reporting. domestic violence.
Against Domestic Violence, Violence Network
Measure: Survey.
including:
Timeframe: before and after • Blacktown Women’s & Girls
• Sea of hands Health Centre
campaign.
• Street banners
• NSW Police Local Area
• Family fun day • Increased reporting of Commands
• Workplace breakfasts incidents of family and
• Blacktown Workers Club
• White Ribbon breakfast. domestic violence.
Measure: Domestic violence • faith communities
legal action rates. • Community Safety Advisory
Timeframe: Quarterly. Committee.
Blacktown City Crime Prevention Plan 2017 15Target crime Project description Project objective Outcome, measures and Collaboration
timeframe
Assault – domestic violence Use of Blacktown City assets To increase reporting of domestic • Increased reporting of family • Blacktown City Council
and resources to promote violence related assault. and domestic violence. • Outer West Domestic
awareness of family and Measure: NSW Bureau of
domestic violence, and services Violence Network
Crime Statistics and Research
available to victims and • Police Local Area Commands
perpetrators. Resources include: Crime statistics.
Timeframe: quarterly. • Community Safety Advisory
• branding of our vehicles and a Committee.
garbage truck • Statistics on enquiries
• disseminating information and regarding domestic violence
resources via our website services.
• promoting and hosting vigils Measure: Blacktown City
for fatal victims of domestic statistics
violence Timeframe: Quarterly.
• installation of street banners
during the 16 Days of Activism
• printing and production of anti-
domestic violence resources
for use and distribution
through local agencies
• funding of the local peak
domestic violence
interagency.
Blacktown City Crime Prevention Plan 2017 16Priority area 2: Fraud
Crime cluster
• Fraud
Offences within this
• Fail to pay
crime cluster
Rationale Prioritisation of emerging trends in fraud, cyber fraud and mailbox theft.
Police Local Area Commands have expressed concern at a growing,
but, yet to be statistically quantified, incidence of cyber-crime.
Blacktown City sits well within the upper quartile of Local Government
Area rankings with a rate of incidents per 100,000 of population in 2016
well above the State average.
No hotspot data is available for this offence. Police Local Area
Commands report a large proportion of incidents of fraud involve
identity theft.
Objective
• Increase security for both individuals and properties.
• Increase hotspot security using active surveillance systems.
• Increase area security through the application of Crime Prevention
through Environmental Design principles.
• Increase social reporting through community membership of social
media connections such as NSW Police Eye Watch programs.
Blacktown City Crime Prevention Plan 2017 17Target crime Project description Project objective Outcome measures and Collaboration
timeframe
Fraud Cyber-crime awareness sessions To reduce the incidence of cyber • Increased awareness of • Blacktown City Council
for the elderly. fraud within vulnerable actions to reduce vulnerability • NSW Department of Fair
communities. to cyber-crime among the Trading
target group.
• Police Local Area Commands
Measure: Survey.
Timeframe: before and after • Community Safety Advisory
campaign. Committee.
• Decreased occurrences of
cyber fraud among the target
group.
Measure: NSW Bureau of
Crime Statistics and Research
crime statistics.
Timeframe: Quarterly.
Fraud Mailbox security information for To reduce the incidence of theft • Increased awareness of • Blacktown City Council
developers and residents. from mail box. actions to reduce vulnerability • Police Local Area Commands
to mail box theft among the
• local service clubs
target group.
Measure: Survey. • Community Safety Advisory
Timeframe: before and after Committee.
campaign.
• Take up of mail box design
recommendations by
developers.
Measure: Blacktown City
statistics
Timeframe: Quarterly.
Blacktown City Crime Prevention Plan 2017 18Priority area 3: Opportunistic crime
Research by the Australian Institute of Interventions supported by evidence of
Criminology suggests that opportunistic effectiveness and suitability for implementation
offences are significantly underreported (120, by local government are:
p 78). • access control measures
A high proportion of opportunistic offenders • surveillance (CCTV, lighting, signage)
are typically young males, with the average • the application of Crime Prevention
age of onset being 12–14 years. through Environmental Design principles.
Effective strategies identify young people who Steal from person
are at risk of engaging in opportunistic crime
and provide them with programs that address Stealing from person encompasses a range of
multiple risk factors such as poor social skills activities, such as bag snatching and
and association with offending peer groups. pickpocketing, and may be perpetrated using
Potential strategies include youth groups and different techniques.
mentoring programs (National Audit Office The costs of theft from person offences are
2007). considerable. Besides the obvious impact of
Importantly, local government can provide a the offence on the victim who has to replace
lead role in ensuring coordinated situational their property (usually at their own expense),
crime prevention strategies in response to some research suggests that thieves use
opportunistic crime. stolen personal items (e.g. credit cards, driver
licences) to perpetrate identity theft (Johnson
Theft involving motor vehicles et al. 2010). As such, theft from person
offences may facilitate more serious crime.
Stealing from motor vehicles encompasses:
• theft of items left in cars, for example Licensed establishments and busy locations
GPS, iPods, laptops, money and attract higher rates of theft from person
sunglasses; interior car parts such as offences due to the ability of offenders to blend
radios or batteries into a crowd, and the availability of products
that are especially attractive to thieves are
• external car parts such as wheels,
CRAVED—concealable, removable, available,
registration plates and hubcaps (ABS
valuable, enjoyable and disposable (Clarke
2011; Varshney & Fitzgerald 2008).
2002a).
The most common location for stealing from
Interventions supported by evidence of
motor vehicle offences are:
effectiveness and suitability for implementation
• residential locations, primarily of an
by local government are:
evening where vehicles are not parked in
• awareness campaigns
garages
• CCTV.
• parking facilities, primarily in car parks
where vehicles are likely to be left for set The suitability of CCTV as a strategy for local
periods. For example, commuter or government will depend on the location being
university car parks, are more likely to be targeted.
targeted than short-term parking facilities.
(NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and
Research 2012; Varshney & Fitzgerald
2008; Armitage 2011b)
Blacktown City Crime Prevention Plan 2017 19Residential burglary Malicious damage
Residential burglary is usually ‘unplanned and Malicious damage is the intentional
speculative in nature’ (Grabosky 1995, p 3). As ‘destruction or defacement of public,
such, successful prevention strategies are commercial and private property’, including
often targeted at reducing opportunity risk vandalism and graffiti.
factors.
Apart from considerable monetary costs,
There are a number of situational risk factors graffiti and vandalism can undermine a
that contribute to residential burglary including: community’s feeling of safety, reducing the
• regular periods during the day when quality of life of residents (Department for
buildings are unoccupied Transport 2003; Morgan & Louis 2009).
• the presence of concealment for offenders Other evidence suggests that malicious
(e.g. overgrown shrubbery and trees) damage offences may encourage further
• unsecured entry points to dwelling criminal acts through the process sometimes
• the absence of a garage or properties with referred to as the ‘broken windows’ effect
an open carport (LaGrange 1999).
• proximity to pawnshops
• proximity to public transport (Armitage The understanding of the nature and extent of
malicious damage offences is limited because
2011b; Moreto 2010).
the overwhelming majority of incidents are not
There is a range of practical strategies that witnessed. However, research has identified a
may be implemented by the home or property number of common characteristics:
owner to reduce the risk of residential burglary, • the majority of malicious damage incidents
such as: occur between 3 pm and midnight with a
• increasing the natural surveillance peak between 6 pm and 9 pm
opportunities of the property • most offences occur between Friday and
• securing implements that may be used to Sunday
aid an offender’s entry into the property • alcohol is an important contributing factor
• making the property appear occupied, to many malicious damage offences
particularly when the homeowner is away • young people are generally the main
• restricting access by making sure access perpetrators of graffiti as well as other
points such as window and doors are forms of malicious damage.
locked and secure
Situational crime prevention strategies aim to
• installing additional measures such as
change the environment in which crime
sensor lights and alarm systems
occurs. Strategies to reduce opportunities for
• burglary victims upgrading their security
offending have included:
immediately after the event to deter repeat
• elements of Crime Prevention through
victimisation (Grabosky 1995).
Environmental Design
The NSW Department of Justice (2014) • community patrols
identifies interventions supported by evidence • rapid removal of graffiti.
of effectiveness and suitability for
implementation by local government involve:
• access control measures
• awareness raising campaigns
• property marking
• strategies involving some form of Crime
Prevention through Environmental Design
• community patrols
• diversionary activities providing some form
of alternative activity after school or during
school holidays for youths at risk of
becoming involved in property crime.
Blacktown City Crime Prevention Plan 2017 20Crime cluster
Offences within this • Assault – non-domestic Violence related
crime cluster • Robbery
• Steal – from dwelling
• Steal – from motor vehicle
• Steal – from person
• Steal – from retail store
• Break and enter – non-dwelling
• Motor vehicle theft
• Malicious damage to property.
Rationale
A number of offences fall into the broader category of opportunistic
crime. Often committed by youth offenders, offences in this category
are particularly appropriate for a situational response.
Key data relating to these offences is contained in the crime data
analysis section above.
Successful models of intervention have tended to engage and support
young people to develop crime prevention strategies and tools for their
own demographic.
Objectives
• Engage young people and youth services in the creation and
implementation of programs designed to address and reduce the
incidence of crime in the offences associated with this priority area.
• Support the community to engage in behaviours that foster the
safety and security of themselves and their possessions.
Blacktown City Crime Prevention Plan 2017 21Target crime Project description Project objective Outcome measures and Collaboration
timeframe
Assault – non-domestic violence Provide workshops to high school To reduce the incidence of • Decreased reporting of • Blacktown City Council
related students on avoiding becoming a Assault – non-domestic violence incidents of Assault – non-
victim of street violence. related offences. • Police Local Area Commands
domestic violence related.
Monitor crime statistics as an . Measure: NSW Bureau of • Community Safety Advisory
evidence base for a Crime Statistics and Research Committee
recommendation regarding statistics. • Blacktown City Youth Advisory
installation of mobile CCTV. Timeframe: Quarterly. Committee
• Local youth agencies
• COM4unity
• Schools.
• Assault – non-domestic Youth-led workshops and To reduce incidence of youth • To reduce the incidence of • Blacktown City Council
Violence related information sessions to raise involvement in opportunistic youth involvement in
awareness of impact of crime. • Police Local Area Commands
• Steal – from motor vehicle opportunistic crime.
involvement in opportunistic • Blacktown City Youth Advisory
• Steal – from person Measure: NSW Bureau of
crime. Committee
Crime Statistics and Research
• Steal – from retail store
Provide young people with statistics. • COM4unity, COLLAB
• Break and enter – non- strategies to recognise and Timeframe: Quarterly.
dwelling respond to early signs of • Community Safety Advisory
• Malicious damage to involvement in opportunistic Committee.
property crime.
Steal – from motor vehicle Provide community education To reduce the incidence of steal • Decreased incidence of Steal • Blacktown City Council
through our newsletter, local from motor vehicle offences. - from motor vehicle.
paper and social media to raise • Police Local Area Commands
Measure: NSW Bureau of
awareness about the risk of • Community Safety Advisory
Crime Statistics and Research
leaving valuables in vehicles,
statistics. Committee
especially in commuter carparks,
shopping centre carparks and Timeframe: Quarterly. • Blacktown City Youth Advisory
residential premises. Committee
• Increase participation in local
Monitor crime statistics as an Eye Watch programs. • Resident associations
evidence base for a Measure: Police Eye Watch • NSW Roads & Maritime
recommendation regarding statistics. Services
installation of CCTV. Timeframe: Quarterly.
• Major Shopping centres.
Blacktown City Crime Prevention Plan 2017 22Target crime Project description Project objective Outcome measures and Collaboration
timeframe
Steal – from motor vehicle Develop a multi-level strategy to To reduce incidence of steal from • To reduce the incidence of • Blacktown City Council
reducing theft from motor vehicles motor vehicle offences. youth involvement in steal from
• Police Local Area Commands
involving promotion of local Eye motor vehicle offences.
Watch programs, conduct of Measure: NSW Bureau of • Blacktown City Youth Advisory
Crime Prevention Through Crime Statistics and Research Committee
Environmental Design audits, statistics. • COM4unity, COLLAB
and installation of strategic Timeframe: Quarterly. • Community Safety Advisory
signage.
Committee.
Steal – from person Educate the community to be To reduce the incidence of steal • Decreased incidence of • Blacktown City Council
aware of their surroundings when from person offences. robbery and steal from person
walking around, for example, • Police Local Area Commands
offences in monitored areas.
talking on headphones and not • Community Safety Advisory
Measure: NSW Bureau of
walking and texting. Committee
Crime Statistics and Research
Monitor crime statistics as an statistics. • Blacktown City Youth Advisory
evidence base for a Timeframe: Quarterly. Committee
recommendation regarding
installation of CCTV. • Increased apprehension rates • Major Shopping centres.
of steal from person offenders.
Measure: Legal action rates.
Timeframe: Quarterly.
• Robbery and ‘Steal – from Deliver schools-based activities To reduce the incidence of • To reduce the incidence of • Blacktown City Council
…’ offences on the consequences of being opportunistic crime, specifically: opportunistic crime.
charged with robbery and ‘Steal – • Police Local Area Commands
• Malicious damage • Robbery Measure: NSW Bureau of
from …’ offences. • Community Safety Advisory
• Steal – from motor vehicle Crime Statistics and Research
Work with local schools to create statistics. Committee
local versions of ‘You think you • Steal – from person
Timeframe: Quarterly. • NSW Department of Juvenile
know’ material. • Steal – from retail store.
Justice.
Blacktown City Crime Prevention Plan 2017 23Target crime Project description Project objective Outcome measures and Collaboration
timeframe
Malicious damage Deliver separate schools based To reduce the incidence of • To reduce the incidence of • Blacktown City Council
education activities on the malicious damage offences opportunistic crime.
consequences of malicious • Community Safety Advisory
Measure: Blacktown City
damage to property. Committee
reporting system.
Monitor crime statistics as an Timeframe: Quarterly. • Local schools
evidence base for a • Police Local Area Commands
recommendation for installation of
mobile CCTV. • NSW Department of Juvenile
Justice.
Blacktown City Crime Prevention Plan 2017 24Blacktown City
Crime Prevention Plan
2017-2021
Demographic and
data analysis
Blacktown City Crime Prevention Plan 2017 25Our City
Our long and rich history A diverse city
We acknowledge the Darug people as the first • Around 1 in 70 Australians reside in
people of the Blacktown region. The Darug Blacktown City.
people have lived in this region for thousands • 2.8% of people are from an Aboriginal or
of years. This was a living country intertwined Torres Strait Islander background. They
and connected with the many clan groups of comprise the largest urban Aboriginal and
the Darug. The traditional name for the place Torres Strait Islander population in N SW.
is Boongarrunbee or Bungarribee. • We have people from 188 different
Europeans came to Blacktown in 1791 and birthplaces. The top 5 countries of origin
settled in Prospect Hill. After the Second World are The Philippines, India, New Zealand,
War, the City’s population of 18,000 began to Fiji and England.
grow. Housing was developed in Blacktown • There are 182 languages spoken. Top 5
and along the railway line. In the 1960s and languages spoken include Tagalog, Hindi,
1970s there was large-scale housing Punjabi, Arabic and Filipino.
development in the suburb of Blacktown and to • The median age is 33 years.
the north of Mount Druitt. • 22.8% are children aged between 0-14.
• 20.2% are older people aged over 55.
Regional context • 55.5% are families with children.
• 3,553 people are over the age of 85.
Blacktown City is an emerging Regional City
located about 35 kilometres west of the
Sydney Central Business District. Our City is
Economy, employment and
at the heart of western Sydney and is well infrastructure
serviced by employment lands, public Our local economy sustains some 116,000
transport and road access. It is supported by jobs of which 44% are occupied by residents.
core health, education, recreation, cultural and
Our City is home to around 18,000
leisure infrastructure.
businesses, 91% of these are small
We are home to 15.7% of greater western businesses.
Sydney’s population.
Blacktown City is larger in economic output
than 60 nations in the world. Our local
A growing city
economy produces upwards of $14.2 billion a
Blacktown is the second largest Local year in gross regional product. In the last 5
Government Area in NSW with an estimated years, our economic output has grown on
350,000 residents and a projected population average by 3% a year. This exceeds the
of 522,000 by 2036. Current growth will growth of the economies of all other Western
continue, especially in the North West Growth Sydney councils.
Centre.
Our export trade is estimated at $8.5 billion
Blacktown City extends about 247 square and has grown by some $757 million over the
kilometres It includes 48 existing and 9 new last 5 years. Blacktown City plays a vital role in
(soon to be named) suburbs. creating jobs and increasing prosperity by
We welcome people of all backgrounds into attracting investors and tourism to the area.
our vibrant and expanding neighbourhoods.
Blacktown City Crime Prevention Plan 2017 26In 2016, 55% of people aged over 15 years Our approach to crime
had completed Year 12 schooling (or
equivalent). There were, however, 33,916
prevention
people in low income households living in Our approach to crime prevention strategy has
Blacktown City. Low income households are been developed in partnership and through
defined as households falling into the bottom consultation with a broad range of
25% of incomes across Australia. We work stakeholders, including:
with developers to cater for the growing • our 3 NSW Police Local Area Commands
demand for affordable housing. • Community Safety Precinct Committees
• Our Community Safety Advisory
Planning for future growth Committee.
The Greater Sydney Commission was We have relied on research produced by the
established in January 2016 to prepare district Australian Institute of Criminology, in particular
plans. We are working with the Commission, Research and Public Policy Series Report 120
through the district planning process, to ensure ‘Effective crime prevention interventions for
the district plans will connect local planning implementation by local government’. We have
with longer-term regional planning for Greater also referenced the NSW Department of
Sydney. Attorney General and Justice’s Crime
Prevention Division guidelines for developing a
Our environment Crime Prevention Strategy as a Safer
We are committed to the conservation, Community Compact. This framework is
restoration and enhancement of our evidence based and uses best practice
environment. recommended by the NSW Department of
Attorney General and Justice Crime
In keeping with ecologically sustainable Prevention Division.
development principles, we work to balance
social, economic and environmental values Research by the Australian Institute of
and imperatives. Criminology has established crime occurs
where the opportunity to commit it is high and
We actively work with the local community to the risk of being caught is low. Our Crime
address key environmental challenges Prevention Plan therefore develops a
including climate change, waste education and situational crime prevention strategy based on
protecting our natural bushland areas, local a researched understanding of crime trends.
biodiversity and the health of our waterways. The Plan proposes a range of situational crime
prevention initiatives involving awareness
raising, advocacy, policy development, service
development and community action.
Our Crime Prevention Plan is one component
of a broader Safe City Strategy addressing the
physical, social and environment well-being of
residents, workers and visitors within
Blacktown City.
Blacktown City Crime Prevention Plan 2017 27Developing our Crime In 2015, we surveyed residents on their
perception of being safe walking down their
Prevention Plan street. This was the first time this question was
Our Community Safety Advisory Committee included in a survey of residents and it
has overseen the development of this Plan provides a baseline for comparison for future
and will be responsible for its ongoing surveys. Nearly half of those surveyed said
monitoring and evaluation.. they always felt safe walking down their street.
Broad consultation has occurred through: It is possible to compare our findings with
• focus groups with our 3 NSW Police Local results from a similar question in the ABS 2010
Area Commands General Social Survey, which specified after
dark. This survey estimated the number of
• interviews with our staff
Blacktown City adults (per 100) who felt very
• interrogation of our hotlines and reporting
safe or safe while walking alone in their local
systems
area after dark was lower (46.2) than for
• input from representatives through the our
Sydney Statistical Division (47.8), NSW (49.0)
Community Safety Advisory Committee
and Australia as a whole (47.0) (Social Profile
• community surveys informing the
2016, p 53).
production of the Blacktown City Social
Profile 2016 Our survey reported an equal divide between
• community feedback gathered during our those who saw the City as a safe place to live
Mayor’s monthly open community forums. and those who had concerns about perceived
high crime levels, personal and community
These consultations confirmed a proportion of
safety (Social Profile, 2016, p 61). Concern
offences go unreported and unrecorded. Crime
was expressed about antisocial behaviour in
data therefore does not reflect the full extent of
neighbourhoods, shopping centres, parks and
crime, as it only reflects offences reported to or
transport interchanges. Some causes were
detected by Police.
drinking alcohol, drug-taking, abusive
Community engagement revealed primary language and swearing. Concern was also
concerns of our residents related to safety expressed about personal safety at transport
including: interchanges, railway stations and walking
• domestic and family violence after dark. Vandalism and graffiti made some
• reported increase in drug and alcohol use areas look run-down and led to people feeling
• anti-social behaviour unsafe (Social Profile 2016, p 58-61).
• graffiti (Social Profile 2016, 16). The data analysis contained in the following
Residents reported feeling less safe in their Crime Profile demonstrates how perception of
community due to: crime does not reflect actual crime rates in the
• adequate lighting City. The reality is that crime trends in most
• rubbish in streets crime categories have reduced or stabilised
over the decade.
• poorly maintained areas (Social Profile
2016, p 16).
Perceptions of safety may be shaped by a
person’s personal experience of crime and by
the number and type of problems reported in
their neighbourhood. Importantly, these
perceptions can also be shaped by individual
characteristics such as age, sex, ethnicity,
education, health and economic status.
The built environment, and the design and
maintenance of neighbourhoods also impact
on perceptions of safety. They are key factors
in improving feelings of safety within
communities (Social Profile 2016, p 53).
Blacktown City Crime Prevention Plan 2017 28Crime profile Situational crime prevention
This crime profile has been developed using Councils are most effective at implementing
data from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics situational crime prevention activities (NSW
and Research (BOCSAR). This data formed Department of Justice, 2014, p 3).
the basis of consultation with the range of Research by the Australian Institute of
stakeholders listed above. Criminology (2012) supports conclusions
For each major crime category, our Crime reported by the NSW Department of Justice
Data Analysis sources: (2014, p 3-4) that:
• number of recorded incidents of crime • efficiently and effectively designed,
over the 5 years to March 2017 managed and implemented programs are
• a 5-year crime trend graph more likely to be successful than those
• 5-year data on our Local Government that are not
Area ranking • programs that have an employed a
• rate of occurrence of the crime per program officer to oversee the program
100,000 of population in 2016. A are more likely to be successful than those
comparison is provided between that do not
Blacktown and the NSW average. • programs that aimed to reduce theft
crimes such as break enter and steal,
steal from dwelling and steal from a retail
Crime data analysis
store were most consistently successful
• there was no evidence of community arts
Statistical crime data analysis
programs having successfully achieved a
The following Statistical crime data analysis reduction in crime. (This particular finding
uses data sourced from the NSW Bureau of is not supported by the experience of
Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) and Blacktown City, where community art
corroborated in discussion with the 3 NSW programs involving electricity boxes
Police Local Area Commands located within eliminated graffiti at these locations).
Blacktown City. • programs targeted at families and parents
Statistical data and crime trends are analysed have generally been unsuccessful.
for each offence identified by Local Area • no significant relationships were found
Commands as being of operational between awareness raising strategies and
significance. changes in levels of crime reporting. (AIC,
2012; NSW Department of Justice, 2014)
Crime statistics and trends have been sourced
and analysed for the most recent 5-year period The Action Plan contained in this document
available, to March 2017. combines these conclusions with the
application of the situational crime prevention
The table on the following pages shows: tool outlined in the following table.
• the number of offences over the subject
period
• 5-year crime trend
• our Local Government Area ranking over
the subject period
• rate per 100,000 of population in 2016.
In line with broader NSW trends, most of the
subject offences have been stable or trending
down over the 5-year period, with the
exception of ‘Assault – domestic violence’.
Blacktown City Crime Prevention Plan 2017 29Twenty five techniques of situational crime prevention
Increase the Increase the Reduce the Reduce Remove
Effort Risks Rewards Provocations Excuses
1. Harden target 6. Extend 11. Conceal 16. Reduce stress 21. Set rules
guardianship targets & frustrations
• Steering • Rental
column locks • Take routine • Off-street parking • Efficient queues agreements
and precautions: go out • Gender-neutral and polite service • Harassment
immobilisers in group at night, phone directories • Expanded seating codes
• Anti-robbery leave signs of • Unmarked • Soothing • Hotel registration
screens occupancy, bullion trucks music/muted lights • Alcohol rules
• Tamper-proof • carry phone
packaging • ‘Cocoon’
neighborhood watch
2. Control access 7. Assist natural 12. Remove 17. Avoid disputes 22. Post
to facilities surveillance targets instructions
• Separate
• Entry phones • Improved street • Removable car enclosures for rival • ‘No Parking’
• Electronic card lighting stereo faceplates soccer fans • ‘Private Property’
access • Defensible space • Women’s • Reduce crowding • ‘Extinguish camp
• Baggage design refuges in pubs fires’
screening • Support • Pre-paid cards • Fixed cab fares
whistleblowers for pay phones
3. Screen exits 8. Reduce 13. Identify 18. Reduce 23. Alert
anonymity property emotional conscience
• Ticket needed for arousal
exit • Taxi driver IDs • Property marking • Roadside speed
• Export documents • ‘How’s my driving?’ • Vehicle licensing • Controls on violent display boards
• Electronic stickers and parts pornography • Signatures for
merchandise tags • School uniforms marking • Enforce good customs
• Cattle branding behavior on sports declarations
fields • ‘Shoplifting is
• Prohibit racial stealing’
slurs
4. Deflect 9. Utilise place 14. Disrupt 19. Neutralise 24. Assist
offenders managers markets peer pressure compliance
• Street closures • CCTV for double- • Monitor pawn • ‘Idiots drink and • Easy library
• Separate deck buses shops drive’ checkout
bathrooms for • Two clerks for • Controls on • ‘It’s OK to say No’ • Public lavatories
women convenience stores classified ads. • Disperse • Litter bins
• Disperse pubs • Reward vigilance • License street troublemakers at
vendors school
5. Control tools/ 10. Strengthen 15. Deny benefits 20. Discourage 25. Control drugs
weapons formal imitation and alcohol
surveillance • Ink merchandise
• ‘Smart’ guns tags • Rapid repair of • Breathalyzers in
• Disabling stolen • Red light cameras • Graffiti cleaning vandalism pubs
cell phones • Burglar alarms • Speed humps • V-chips in TVs • Server
• Restrict spray • Security guards • Censor details of intervention
paint sales to ‘modus operandi’ • Alcohol-free
juveniles events
Source: Cornish & Clarke (2003)
Blacktown City Crime Prevention Plan 2017 30Effectiveness of place-based interventions
In light of the community’s feedback, place- one hand and the reality of crime on the other.
based interventions must take into Studies by Lorenc et al and Eck & Guerette on
consideration community perception of their the effectiveness of specific situational crime
personal, social and environmental safety. solutions are reflected in the following
diagram.
The actions identified in the Action Plan (at x
above) factor the varying effectiveness of
interventions in reducing fear of crime on the
Effectiveness of place-based interventions ...
94 93 92 89
100
78
67
56 60 59 6955
50 50 … in reducing
fear of crime (%)
0 0 0
… in reducing
actual crime (%)
Source: Lorenc et al (2013); Eck & Guerette (2012)
Blacktown City Crime Prevention Plan 2017 31Using crime statistics Calculation of crime trends The NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and In general, NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics Research provide cautionary notes on the use and Research relies upon the Kendall Rank of its crime statistics. (NSW Bureau of Crime Order Correlation statistical test (or Kendall's Statistics and Research, 2017) tau-b) to determine whether a series is Recorded crime statistics for some offence trending upwards, downwards or is stable categories do not accurately reflect the actual (p
Blacktown City
Crime Prevention Plan
2017-2021
Crime data
Blacktown City Crime Prevention Plan 2017 33Assault – domestic violence related
Blacktown City continues to have the highest number of recorded incidents
of domestic violence related assault of any Local Government Area in
NSW. These incidents have increased with spikes over a 5- year period.
With 2,083 incidents, we are almost twice the next highest council area
(Penrith City with 1,043 incidents).
The Local Government Area ranking is based on the rate of offence per
100,000 of population. Due to our large population, the offence rate is
lower than smaller rural Local Government Areas. In 2016, with a rate of
608.9 per 100,000 people, we had the highest rate of offence of any urban
Local Government Area in NSW and remained significantly above the
state average.
A situational analysis of offence hotspots shows incidents concentrated in
domestic settings and in specific communities.
A situational crime response would involve increasing:
• personal security for both individuals and properties
• area security through neighbour watch programs
• social cohesion through community membership of social media
connections such as NSW Police Eye Watch programs.
Local Rate per 100,000 of
Number of incidents 5 year Crime Trend – up Government Area population
Ranking 2016
Assault –
domestic
April 2012 April 2014 April 2016 New
violence Blacktown
– – – 2012 2014 2016 South
related City
Mar 2013 Mar 2015 Mar 2017 Wales
1948 1920 2083 25 31 29 382.1 608.9
Blacktown City Crime Prevention Plan 2017 34You can also read
