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Glebe Community Safety Plan 2009–2012

May 2009

Policy Owner: Safe City Unit

1Glebe Community Safety Plan 2009–2012

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2

1.0 INTRODUCTION 4

2.0 BACKGROUND 5

2.1 The Role of Local Government in Responding to Crime 52.2 Legislative and Policy Context 52.3 The Safe City Strategy 2007–2012 62.4 Interrelated Plans and Strategies 83.0 GLEBE PROFILE 9

3.1 History 103.2 Glebe Demographics 124.0 CRIME PROFILE 16

4.1 Introduction 164.2 Crime and Safety in Glebe 164.3 Assault 174.4 Robbery 214.5 Steal from Person 244.6 Steal from Motor Vehicle 264.7 Malicious Damage 284.8 Responding to Crime and Safety Issues in Glebe 305.0 COMMUNITY CONSULTATION 32

5.1 Key findings 325.2 Other community consultations 34

5.2.1 2005, 2006, 2007 City of Sydney Community Satisfaction Survey 345.2.2 Local Area Action Plan North West 2007 355.2.3 Glebe Business Precinct Strategy 2007 365.2.4 A Survey of Community Services in Glebe and Forest Lodge 2004 365.2.5 The Village of Glebe – Commercial Renewal Study 2003 375.2.6 Key Issues for consideration in Glebe 37

6.0 GLEBE COMMUNITY SAFETY PLAN 2009–2012 38

6.1 Social Crime Prevention 386.2 Opportunity Reduction Approaches 386.3 Aim 396.4 Objectives 396.5 Guiding Principles 40

Objective 1 – Reducing crime and anti-social behaviour 40Objective 2 – Addressing school retention, capacity building and diversionary

issues for local young people 42Objective 3 – Developing community capacity building projects with the

broader community 48Objective 4 – Tackling crime and safety in Public Housing 51Objective 5 – Improving the look and feel of the physical environment 55Objective 6 – Supporting ex-offender reintegration into the Community 59

7.0 MONITORING AND EVALUATION 60

References 61Appendices 62

2 Glebe Community Safety Plan 2009–2012

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Glebe is an inner City suburb of Sydney renowned for its historic built and natural environment which is reflective of its role as Sydney’s first suburb. Its diversity of local residents reflected in the suburb’s ethnic mix, range of income brackets, private and public housing provision, professional qualifications and levels of employment/unemployment have all contributed to Glebe’s strong village and community atmosphere with a number of active local community groups. Like communities all over the world Glebe is facing its own unique crime and safety problems which are the result of complex changes in economic, social and cultural factors.

The Glebe Community Safety Plan (the plan) sits under the City’s Safe City Strategy 2007–2012 and aims to improve actual and perceived safety across the suburb and broader community. With Glebe Point Road identified as an Activity Hub in Sustainable Sydney 2030, the plan seeks to strengthen the distinctive and diverse character of Glebe. The plan aims to take a genuinely preventative approach to Glebe’s distinct crime and safety issues by tackling the underlying causes of crime. The aim extends to building on the existing strengths of the Glebe community and emphasises the importance of investing in those people identified as being vulnerable and in need of support. Compelling evidence suggests that those who feel excluded from participation in community life are more likely to offend against that community. The plan aims to address this sense of exclusion with a view to reducing the risk of offending by focusing on broad social outcomes.

The key policy implication of this approach is that there is no single solution to the complex range of social issues facing the Glebe community and that only an integrated whole-of-community multi-agency approach involving a genuine commitment of time and resources can begin to have some impact in terms of reducing and preventing crime.


With this in mind the key issues identified in the plan have been identified through information on crime from Leichhardt Police and the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, community consultation, a review of existing studies and previous consultations and discussions with key stakeholders. The primary objectives of the plan are to:

Reduce crime and anti-social behaviour

Address school retention, and addressing capacity building and diversionary issues for local young people

Develop community capacity building projects with the broader community

Tackle crime and safety issues in public housing

Improve the look and feel of the physical environment and

Target supporting ex-offenders released from prison

The key to success for the Glebe Community Safety Plan will be achieving broad agreement of the need to work cooperatively. Crime and safety issues are complex, interdependent and embrace the activities of every group and individual with a stake in the community. The safest communities are not those with the most police and prisons, but those with the strongest community structures, including cohesive families and socialisation and economic opportunities. A central theme of this plan is therefore shared responsibility, that we all have a role to play in building effective partnerships to meet the emerging challenges in community safety.


1. INTRODUCTION

Glebe is recognised as one of the first inner Sydney suburbs and more than two hundred years later is generally considered to have a charming village atmosphere. Glebe’s unique village environment, set against the skyscrapers of the CBD, is a combination of a number of factors which have contributed to its diverse and close-knit community. Residents and visitors appreciate the mix of students, academics, artists, ethnic groups, backpackers, retirees, families, professionals and alternative communities which give the suburb its distinct character. While the vibrancy and individual character is unique to the suburb it is also acknowledged that, like any suburb, Glebe is faced with its own crime and safety challenges.

The City of Sydney recognises that crime in Glebe is a genuine community concern and seeks to work with a range of groups and individuals in forming genuine partnerships and developing compassionate and innovative solutions to the community safety needs of its communities. The City recognises that there is no “one size fits all” solution to the complex causes of crime and anti-social behaviour. Accordingly the City focuses its resources into preventing crime from occurring in the first place.

The Glebe Community Safety Plan, the first of its kind for the area, is a three year strategy which recognises the considerable strengths of the community and its ability to work together in developing local solutions to its own unique crime and safety problems.


2. BACKGROUND

2.1 The Role of Local Government in Responding to Crime

The City of Sydney recognises that the NSW Police and the criminal justice system are the most important components in maintaining law and order in our city. The role of the City of Sydney as the Local Government Authority includes input into planning decisions and designing out crime, public crime prevention education campaigns, developing strategies and responses to address community safety issues, providing a framework to improve social and community services and investing in social programs aimed at vulnerable and marginalised people in the community. The City aims to develop partnerships with the NSW Police and other government agencies, manage the impacts of licensed premises and manage the public domain through the provision of appropriate street lighting, cleansing, maintenance, graffiti removal and undertaking community safety audits.

2.2 Legislative and Policy Context

Local government has a legislative responsibility to respond to crime and community safety concerns. Additionally, national and state crime prevention policy frameworks provide a clear role for local government.

Federal

Whilst there is no National Crime Prevention Plan or any specific legislative/policy framework at the Commonwealth level, local government crime prevention programming is guided to some extent by the following.

Crime prevention legislation is developed by the Criminal Justice Division of the Commonwealth Attorney General’s Department and includes national law enforcement policy, legal and policy advice on criminal law and legal aspects of the Federal criminal justice system.

Legislation and policy frameworks relating to the reduction and prevention of crime is largely drawn up by the states in their administration of the criminal justice system.


State

Whilst there is no NSW Crime Prevention Plan, local government responds to crime and safety via the following legislative and policy frameworks:

The Children (Protection and Parental Responsibility) Act (1997) provides a statutory basis for the development of community safety or crime prevention plans with Local Governments taking the lead agency role. The Act recognises the importance of community safety activities that draw upon local knowledge and services in adopting a strategic partnership approach to addressing local community safety issues.

The City’s Charter under the Local Government Act (1993) requires Council to take responsibility for managing public land. By implication, this can mean that Councils have a duty of care in relation to people who use public land. The Local Government Act gives Councils the power to issue and enforce orders which aim to prevent activities that place members of the public at risk.

A range of other legislation such as the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act (1979) and the Roads Act (1993) also provides Council with a range of responsibilities and functions including public health and safety.

The assessment of development proposals under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act (1979) requires a consent authority to consider and assess whether a development application addresses community safety matters. Under Section 79C of the EPA Act the City’s development control plans and local environment plan set out detailed design provisions for minimising the opportunity for undesirable activities or criminal behaviour.

The New South Wales Government has also developed the State Plan – A New Direction for NSW, a ten year directions statement aimed at improving services, setting priorities and planning to meet the challenges facing the state for the period 2006–2016.

One of the key themes of the State Plan – A New Direction for NSW under Respect and Responsibility is keeping people safe, reducing rates of crime, reducing re-offending, reducing levels of anti-social behaviour and building harmonious communities. More specifically for the City area the plan focuses on improving safety for people after dark and working well with people at the local level.

2.3 The Safe City Strategy 2007–2012

The City of Sydney is committed to ensuring that the city is a safe and vibrant place to live, work and visit. The City has developed the Safe City Strategy 2007–2012 which provides an overarching framework to guide the City and its partners in tackling the complex range of crime and safety issues affecting the CBD and its neighbourhoods.


The key objectives of the strategy are to:

1. Reduce crime and anti-social behaviour – including addressing domestic and non-domestic assaults, targeting steal from motor vehicle offences, reducing steal from person offences, reducing fraud, tackling victimisation of international students and visitors and providing crime prevention information to residents and business

2. Tackle complex crime and safety issues in areas of public housing – including delivering the Creating a Safer Community Project aimed at addressing fear of crime and social exclusion, Council representation at relevant forums and creating a Public Housing Liaison Officer position.

3. Improve the look and feel of our built environment – by delivering good urban design, ongoing CPTED Protocol Referral with NSW Police, extending the CCTV Street Safety Camera Network, initiating community safety audits, rapid graffiti removal, delivering high quality cleansing services, improved street lighting and the reactivation of laneways and public parks.

4. Deliver primary prevention and early intervention initiatives – including increasing opportunities for recreation and learning and investing in programs which increase the chances of vulnerable children and young people and their families at key transition points in life.

5. Target risk factors associated with offending behaviours – including supporting ex-offenders to successfully reintegrate in to the community

6. Strengthen communities and increase opportunities for people to engage in

legitimate activities – by recognising the specific needs and developing appropriate responses to key community groups including Aboriginal people, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities (CALD), Older People, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) communities and Women.

7. Advocate to higher levels of Government for more resources aimed at crime

prevention – in recognition that the City has an important role to play in ensuring that Federal and State Government continue to support initiatives aimed at reducing and preventing crime at the local level.

The Safe City Strategy 2007–2012 aims to tackle the underlying causes of crime and recognises that by building and strengthening our communities at the local level we can in turn prevent crime. The strategy also has a focus on shared responsibility and that only though a planned and united effort can we expect to effectively address crime and safety issues in our communities. The Safe City Strategy recognises the importance of delivering localised responses which are unique to specific areas such as Glebe.


2.4 Interrelated Plans and Studies

The Safe City Strategy and the Glebe Community Safety Plan form part of an integrated planning approach to community safety and are designed to complement the following City strategic planning documents and associated initiatives:

Sustainable Sydney 2030 – The 2030 Vision is focused on building the sense of community and the local economy of villages like Glebe and sees villages as important places for economic growth through attracting and clustering innovative and creative enterprises.

Social Plan 2006–2010 – a plan which sets out the City’s guiding social principles and identifies priority needs and opportunities within local communities.

Glebe Business Precinct Study – a study commissioned by the City to gather information and consult with local stakeholders to better understand the dynamics of the precinct and issues that affect its economic vitality.

Glebe Conservation Area Study – a study which has reviewed the boundaries and made recommendations on the existing conservation area, identified threats and issues within the area and proposed policies to protect the identified heritage character.

Youth Interagency Strategy and Action Plan – a strategy that identifies priority issues and needs for local young people including an action plan to address issues and needs.

Drug and Alcohol Strategy – a strategy which aims to respond to alcohol and drug-related use to improve safety for City residents, businesses, visitors as well as people who are dependent on drugs and/or alcohol.

Local Action Plans – specifically LAP North West for the Glebe area – which include a list of priority improvement projects for each of the ten areas identified in 2030 across the Local Government Area which will be developed into activity hubs as a focus for the City’s village communities and transport where shops, cafes, markets, libraries, government services and employment are centrally located within walking distance of every City resident

Road Safety Program – a program that promotes a range of safety initiatives for drivers, pedestrians and children.

Draft City Plan Development Control Plan – a package which includes a single Local Environment Plan (LEP) and Development Control Plan (DCP) in order to develop a consistent and comprehensive set of planning controls across the City of Sydney.

Draft Integrated Facilities Plan – providing an integrated framework for the provision of City and community services and programs through City facilities. This Draft Plan is currently under development at the time of writing of the Draft Glebe Community Safety Plan.


3. GLEBE PROFILE

Glebe is an inner-city suburb of Sydney located some three kilometres south west of the Central Business District. Glebe surrounds Blackwattle Bay, an inlet of Sydney Harbour, in the north. The suburb of Ultimo lies to the east, and the suburbs of Annandale and Forest Lodge to the west. The southern boundary is formed by Parramatta Road and Broadway.

Glebe Point Road is the main road through the suburb, featuring a shopping strip known for its specialty shops, restaurants and cafés. The Broadway Shopping Centre has been built on the landmark site of the former Grace Brothers Department store on Broadway.

Major landmarks in Glebe include the Sze Yup Chinese Temple, Lyndhurst mansion, the Coroner’s Court of NSW, St John’s Church, Glebe Post Office, Glebe Court House, the Sydney Fish Market and Glebe Town Hall.

Glebe has a popular market held on Saturdays in the grounds of Glebe Public School where arts, craft, second hand clothing and fresh food is readily available. Harold Park Paceway is a harness racing track in Glebe while Wentworth Park features a greyhound racing track on the border with Ultimo. Glebe also features a number of other parks including Bi-centennial and Jubilee Parks with frontage to Blackwattle Bay.

Glebe is identified as one of ten activity hubs in the Sustainable Sydney 2030 Strategy where shops, cafes, markets, libraries, Government services and employment are centrally located within walking distance of every resident.

UBD (2007)


3.1 History

The traditional owners of the Sydney City region are the Cadigal people. Their land stretches from south side of Sydney Harbour from South Head to Petersham. The “Eora” was the name given to the Indigenous people who live on the coast around Sydney. The name is used proudly by the descendants of those same people and the central Sydney area, including Glebe, is referred to as “Eora Country1”.

Suburbs such as Glebe are also the home of ancestors of the Wangal Wangal band and the surrounding bushland contains remnants of traditional plant, bird and animal life with fish and rock oysters in Blackwattle Bay2.

In 1789 Governor Phillip granted 400 acres known as “The Glebe” to the Anglican Church for the colony’s chaplain, the Reverend Richard Johnson. Little is known about the first Aboriginal/European contact period though it is generally agreed that aside from 20 acres dedicated to Governor King’s wife Catherine, Glebe remained mostly undeveloped up until the1820’s3.

The Church Reserve was subdivided into 27 allotments in 1828. The larger elevated blocks at Glebe Point appealed to the middle classes while Blackwattle Swamp lots were popular for their access to fresh water and the growing city. Industry also began to grow in the area and abattoirs, slaughterhouses and tanneries gave rise to housing which was working class in character.

The arrival of the first omnibus service in 1846 encouraged development at the southern end of Glebe at the junction of Broadway and Glebe Point Road. Glebe’s aristocracy built elegant Regency houses such as Hereford House, Toxteth Park and Lyndhurst at this time5.

Subdivision of the church estates continued from the early 1840s when St Phillips and the Archdeaconry land known as Bishopthorpe were subdivided into 32 and 238 allotments respectively. Glebe was declared a municipality in 1859 and with improvements in transport and the establishment of the University intensive subdivision and construction of largely terrace housing became more common. The introduction of electric trams in Glebe in 1899 spurred development of Glebe Point and the Toxteth Estate6.

By the start of World War 1 in 1914 Glebe was built out and began a period of decline. The Depression lead to an increase in crime rates and social problems, the original middle class occupants moved out to the new suburbs while commercial interests faced increasing competition from new businesses on Broadway.

Whole precincts of interwar public housing began to appear and by the 1940s, Glebe, like other parts of inner city neighbourhoods in Redfern, Waterloo and Chippendale contained a large number of dilapidated houses which became ripe for clearance7.


Post-war Glebe saw the advent of multi-storey flat development as more villas gave way to redevelopment. By the early 1970s community action on the part of the Glebe Society and others lead to calls for controlled development with Green Bans being imposed on the demolition of Lyndhurst and the National Trust classifying the Glebe Conservation Area in 1974.

Meanwhile the impact of low rentals lead to the Anglican Church being unable to effectively maintain its properties. The Whitlam Government purchased 700 dwellings for $17.5 million in 1974 and set about restoring the properties. In 1984 the Hawke Government sold the estate to the current owner the NSW Government8.

During the 1970s Glebe Point Road became a thriving mix of new restaurants, antique shops, traditional grocery shops and second hand retailers. The suburb’s building stock from the Victorian and Federation through to its Italianate and Edwardian development at Toxteth Estate illustrates the social diversity of Glebe which has existed since the first subdivision.

In the 1990s the area like many inner city suburbs underwent a period of rapid gentrification due to increasing demand for inner city housing stock which continues to this day. The increase in property values and subsequent rises in rent have reduced the affordability of housing and have contributed to the significant gap between high and low income groups in Glebe.

The Broadway Shopping Centre opened in the old Grace Brothers building in 1998 and was expanded in 2006 and includes over one hundred and twenty stores. Some local businesses were of the view that the shopping centre had lead to increased competition and had adversely affected business confidence. Others saw the benefits of the centre in terms of accessibility, parking and offering a wide range of undercover shops and services9.

Today Glebe continues to be known for its vibrant village atmosphere through its historic built and natural environment, a diversity of local residents, its active resident and community groups, a close affiliation with the University of Sydney and the University of Technology, the weekly market, a strong emphasis on community and culture and the suburb’s alternative and bohemian charm.

1 Barani Indigenous History of Sydney Website2 Ibid3 Varman R. (2005) Archaeological Report, City of Sydney, Glebe Conservation Area Study Report4 Architectural Projects Pty Ltd (2005), City of Sydney, Glebe Conservation Area Study Report5 Ibid6 Whitlam E. G. (1985) The Whitlam Government 1972–1975, Penguin Books Australia8 Ibid9 City of Sydney (2007) Glebe Business Precinct Study, Hill PDA Consulting


3.2 Glebe Demographics

Table 1 – Glebe Population Characteristics 2006

Person Characteristics Glebe CoS LGA Sydney SD

Total persons (excluding overseas visitors) 11,062 156,572 4,119,190

Males 46.8% 53.2% 49.2%

Females 53.2% 46.8% 50.8%

Total dwellings 5,675 86,112 1,643,675

Occupied Private Dwellings 5,288 78,801 1,521,465

Occupied Private Dwellings (%) 93.2% 91.5% 92.6%

Average Household Size 2.0 1.9 2.7

Age Distribution

0–14 9.9% 7.2% 19.5%

15–29 28.4% 34.4% 21.2%

30–44 25.9% 31.0% 23.2%

45–59 20.2% 15.8% 19.3%

60–74 10.8% 7.9% 10.7%

75+ 4.8% 3.6% 6.1%

Total 100% 100% 100%

Median Age 35 32 35

Place of Birth

Australia & Oceania 58.6% 43.9% 63.1%

Europe 9.3% 8.4% 8.9%

North Africa and Middle East 0.6% 0.6% 2.5%

Asia 8.4% 14.4% 10.6%

Americas 1.5% 1.3% 0.6%

Sub-Saharan Africa 0.3% 0.5% 0.7%

Other/Not stated 21.3% 30.9% 13.7%

Indigenous Population 312 1,981

Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

Highest Level Education

Post Graduate Degree 13.7% 9.8% 7.1%

Graduate Diploma/Certificate 3.4% 2.4% 2.3%

Bachelor Degree 32.5% 29.8% 25.5%

Advanced Diploma/Diploma 9.5% 9.9% 14.1%

Certificate 11.4% 10.0% 26.0%

Not stated/described 29.4% 38.0% 24.9%

Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%*

*Australian Bureau of Statistics (2006) Census


The total population for the Glebe Forest Lodge area is 11,0621. This figure is expected to rise to 14,628 in 2011 and to 14,805 by 2021.

As Table one above reveals Glebe has a lower proportion of children and therefore a lower proportion of family households. This demographic reflects the area’s inner city character and its proximity to universities and employment in the CBD.

Table 2 – Glebe Dwelling and Household Types 2006

Home Ownership Glebe CoS LGA Sydney SD

Owned or being purchased 32.8% 35.3% 65.0%

Rented 63.0% 60.7% 31.3%

Other/Not stated 4.2% 4.0% 3.7%

Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.O%

Household Structure

Family Households 49.5% 45% 72.7%

Lone Person Households 40.4% 41.2% 23.1%

Group Households 10.1% 13.8% 4.2%

Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

Family Type

Couple Family 25.9% 22.1% 49.3%

Couple family without children 49.1% 59.7% 33.2%

One parent family: Total 20.6% 12.3% 15.6%

Other Family 4.5% 5.8% 1.9%

Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

Dwelling Type

Separate House 14.4% 5.3% 63.6%

Townhouse 41.4% 22.4% 11.8%

Flat – Unit-Apartment 42.5% 71.0% 23.9%

Other Dwelling 1.6% 1.1% 0.6%

Not stated 0.1% 0.2% 0.1%

Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

Usual residence last 5 Years

Same address as 5 years ago 39.1% 25.6% 56.4%

Different usual address in last 5 years 44.8% 49.3% 35.7%

Not stated 16.1% 25.1% 7.9%

Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%2

1 Australian Bureau of Statistics (2006) Census2 Australian Bureau of Statistics (2006) op. cit.


Table 2 demonstrates the high density inner City character of Glebe. The low rate of home ownership may be attributed to the high component of social housing, high costs related to close proximity to the Sydney CBD, rented student accommodation and a transient population.

There are an estimated 1,424 public housing properties in Glebe. This represents 18% of all public housing in the City of Sydney. Approximately 4000 people live in public housing properties in Glebe, comprising one-third of the entire population in this suburb. Housing type varies from terraces, units and townhouses.

Table 3 – Employment and Income Glebe 2006

Labour Force Glebe CoS LGA Sydney SD

Managers 13.5% 15.4% 12.5%

Professionals 37.0% 34.8% 22.5%

Community/Personal Services 7.6% 8.7% 7.6%

Clerical/Administrative 14.3% 13.3% 15.8%

Sales 7.6% 7.9% 9.0%

Technicians/Trades 6.1% 7.1% 12.0%

Machinery Operators/Drivers 1.9% 1.8% 5.7%

Labourers & Related Workers 3.9% 4.1% 7.6%

Not described/stated 1.9% 1.8% 2.0%

Unemployed 6.1% 5.3% 5.3%

Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

Weekly Household Income

$0–349 20.0% 16.7% 12.8%

$400–$799 16.4% 13.5% 17.9%

$800–$1,399 16.9% 18.0% 20.8%

$1,400–$2,499 16.3% 20.2% 21.2%

$2,500 + 20.3% 21.9% 16.0%

Partial Income stated 6.9% 7.2% 8.6%

All Incomes not stated 3.1% 2.5% 2.7%

Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

Median Weekly Household Income $1,068 $1,204 $1,154*

* Australian Bureau of Statistics (2006) Census op. cit.


Table 3 indicates that Glebe has a higher percentage of professionals living in the suburb in comparison to both the City of Sydney local government area and Sydney statistical division. Again this is likely to be due to the area’s proximity to tertiary institutions and the number of academics residing locally. This may partly also explain the suburb’s greater proportion of residents with “very high” and “very low” income categories.

In the over $2,500 per week income category Glebe has 20.3% of residents compared to the Sydney Statistical Division of 16.0%. In the under $350 per week income bracket 20% of Glebe residents fall in to this category as compared to 12.8% of the Sydney Statistical Division.

These figures exemplify the wealth of young professionals/city workers living locally, the gentrified population and academics compared to students and social housing tenants occupying the other end of the spectrum.


4. CRIME PROFILE

4.1 Introduction

The data in this crime report were extracted from the NSW Police Force’s Computerised Policing System (COPS). A recorded criminal incident is defined as an activity detected or reported to police which involved the same alleged offender(s), involved the same victim(s), occurred at the one location, occurred during one uninterrupted period of time, falls into one offence category and falls into one incident type (for example “actual”, “attempted”, “conspiracy”).1

According to the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) Police recorded crime data provide a useful tool for monitoring trends and patterns in crime in local areas. Police recorded crime information is not as useful for estimating the overall level of crime in a particular area. This is primarily because many criminal incidents are not reported to, or detected by Police, for example minor assaults where neither party is injured2.

The COPS database contains only those criminal incidents that are reported to, or are detected by, Police thus trends in recorded crime will reflect movements in the underlying factors that influence the detection, reporting and recording of crime, as well as changes in the true level of crime in the community.

It should also be noted that calculations of crime statistics do not adjust for the number of people who visit an area. In this regard BOCSAR state that rates in the Sydney Local Government Area (LGA), which includes Glebe, should not be compared with other LGAs. This is because the resident population is very low relative to the population who visit the LGA each year3. For example the resident population of the City of Sydney is approximately 168,000 people, yet it is estimated that approximately 835,000 people come in to the area each day4.

4.2 Crime and Safety in Glebe

This crime profile contains information provide by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research and Leichhardt Police. The information also includes national trends for the highlighted offences for comparative purposes. The five major crime categories detailed in this profile are assault, robbery, steal from person, steal from motor vehicle and malicious damage. According to Leichhardt Police these are the crimes of most concern in Glebe.

1 NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, (2007) Local Government Area Crime Report Series, Sydney

2 Ibid3 Ibid4 City of Sydney website op. cit.


4.3 Assault

Table 1: Assault – 5 year trend – No. of incidents recorded by NSW Police for

postcode 2037 – Glebe – Forest Lodge 2002–2007

Offence 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

5 Year

Trend

Assault – Domestic Violence (DV) 62 61 80 49 72 61 Stable

Assault – Non (DV) 226 160 167 160 164 184 Stable

Sexual Assault 6 13 6 5 12 10 Nc*

* Not calculated due to low numbers.

Table 1 above shows that rates of assault in the Glebe–Forest Lodge area have remained stable for the six year period. According to BOCSAR state-wide trends for assault have also revealed a stable pattern over the last five years1. The Australian Institute of Criminology Facts and Figures Report for 2007 has found that assault has continued to represent the majority of recorded violent crimes across the country. The overall trend since 1996 has been upward with an increase of 50% between 1996 and 2006. National rates of sexual assault have also shown a steady increase over the period 1996–2004. A slight decrease in 2005 was followed by another increase in 20062.

1 NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics (2008)2 Australian Institute of Criminology (2007)


Figure 1: Assault – Leichhardt Area Police Command –

October 2007–September 2008*

Lilyfield/Rozelle 19%

Leichhardt 21% Glebe 34%

Balmain 17%

Annandale 9%

Figure 1 above shows that approximately one in every three assaults in the Leichhardt Police Area Command in the last year have taken place in Glebe. According to BOCSAR selected offences by quarter incidents reveal that in the June quarter (June, July, August) for 2007 the number of incidents was 33. This increased to 50 incidents for the September quarter and 65 for the December quarter suggesting a possible increasing seasonal trend for this offence.

*Leichhardt Police (2008)


Figure 2: 2007 City of Sydney Local Government Area Hot spot map for

domestic violence related assault incidents

Figure 2 above shows that domestic violence related assault is reasonably common particularly in the southern area of Glebe. Figure one demonstrates that areas of the CBD, Kings Cross, Redfern and Waterloo experience the highest rates of this kind of crime in the City of Sydney Local Government Area. Adult persons of interest numbers for domestic violence from 2002–2007 in Glebe–Forest Lodge have been 56, 55, 73, 45, 69 and 57 respectively suggesting a stable trend.

Only 20 juvenile offenders in total for all the years 2002 to 2007 have been counted in this offence suggesting that domestic violence is primarily an offence committed by adults in the Glebe–Forest Lodge area. In 2007 March recorded the most number of domestic violence related incidents followed by September and December. Most offences occurred on Sundays between 12am and 6am, Fridays from 6pm–12am and Saturday from 12am–6am.


Figure 3: 2007 City of Sydney Local Government Area Hot spot map for non-

domestic violence assault incidents

Figure 3 above demonstrates that non-domestic violence related assault in 2007 occurred most commonly in the southern/Broadway end of Glebe largely in the area bounded by Derwent Street, St John’s Road, Broadway and Wattle Street. Kings Cross and Ultimo appear to have the highest rates of this kind of offence in the LGA.

According to BOCSAR the number of juvenile persons of interest for non-domestic violence-related assault in 2005 was 21, increasing to 36 in 2006 and 39 in 2007. Of the 21 persons of interest for 2005 15 were male and 6 female, in 2006 23 male and 13 female and in 2007 24 male and 15 female. BOCSAR data for persons of interest for both domestic and non-domestic violence show that most crime is overwhelmingly committed by adults.


BOCSAR data also shows that for both domestic and non-domestic-related crime from 2002–2007 in postcode 2037 the vast majority of victims are adults. Females are far more likely to victims of domestic violence than males while males are much more likely to be victims of non-domestic violence1.

Most non domestic violence incidents in 2007 took place during March, then December followed by October. The most common times for this offence category were on Saturdays from 12am–6am and Sundays from 12am–6am.

4.4 Robbery

Robbery refers to the unlawful removal or taking of property without consent, accompanied by force or threat.

Table 2: Five year trend – Robbery No. of incidents recorded by NSW Police for

postcode area 2037 from 2002–2007

Offence 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

5 Year

Trend

Robbery with a weapon 58 73 47 48 36 63 Stable

Robbery without a weapon 3 4 2 3 3 4 nc

Robbery with weapon not firearm 17 19 20 24 17 25 nc

Table 2 shows that rates for robbery have remained relatively stable over the six years for the postcode 2037 although there was a marked increase from 2006 to 2007. According to BOCSAR rates of robbery across all of NSW from 2003–2007 also remained stable although over the previous 24 months for robbery without a weapon and robbery with a weapon not a firearm both went down by 6.9% and 4.5% respectively2. According to the Australian Institute of Criminology rates of all robbery in Australia have been increasing marginally from 2004–2006 though current rates are some way below the figures from 1997–20033.

1 NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (2008)2 Ibid3 Australian Institute of Criminology op. cit.


Figure 4: Robbery – Leichhardt Police Area Command October 2007

– September 2008


Leichhardt 23% Glebe 47%

Balmain 5%

Annandale 11%

Figure 4 shows that for all types of robbery offences occurring in the Leichhardt Police Local Area Command over the last year almost half have taken place in Glebe1. The number of offences increased markedly for robbery without a weapon from 8 in the September quarter in 2007 to 23 for the December quarter2.

In 2007 the most common month for robbery offences was April followed by March and May. The most common times when robberies took place was Saturday between 12am and 6am and Sunday between 12am and 6am.

1 Leichhardt Police (2008) op. cit.2 NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics (2007) op. cit.


Figure 5: 2007 City of Sydney Local Government Area Hot Spot Map – Robbery

Figure 5 shows that the key hot spot area for Glebe for 2007 in terms of robbery occurs primarily between St John’s Road and Broadway/Parramatta Road1. Police report that this can be attributed to the high volume of pedestrian traffic accessing Sydney University, Broadway Shopping Centre and Glebe Point Road. Property stolen consists largely of cash, mobile phones and ipods. Leichhardt Police report that local crime figures for this offence are trending downward2.

In terms of the persons of interest offenders are primarily adults. However, figures for juvenile persons of interest from 2002 to 2007 for robbery offences with a weapon not a firearm from 2002 to 2006 totalled 29 over the whole five year period. 10 juvenile males and 2 juvenile females were counted for the whole of 2007.

In terms of victims of robbery a total of 16 juvenile males were victims of robbery for the entire period 2002–2006 while for 2007 a total of 18 juvenile males were victims of this offence. Most victims of robbery in the Glebe –Forest Lodge area are male adults.

1 NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (2007) op. cit2 Leichhardt Police (2008) op. cit.


4.5 Steal from Person

Steal from person refers to the taking of another person’s property without force or threat or unlawfully entering a property even if the intent was to commit theft.

Table 3: Five year trend – Steal from Person – No. of incidents recorded by

Police for postcode 2037 – Glebe – Forest Lodge 2002 – 2007

Offence 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

5 Year

Trend

Steal from Person 122 167 138 99 109 100 Stable

Table 3 above denotes that rates of Steal from Person in the Glebe–Forest Lodge area has remained stable for the period 2002–20071. State-wide trends for this offence from July 2003 to June 2008 show a downward trend of 9.4%2. According to the Australian Institute of Criminology theft is generally the most commonly recorded property crime. In 2006 there were 261,895 recorded victims of unlawful entry with intent which includes steal from person offences down 8% on the previous year. The rate of theft, which is the largest category of recorded property crime, increased across the country between 1996 and 2001 and declined thereafter3.

Figure 6: Steal from Person – Leichhardt Area Police Command – October 2007

– September 20084


Leichhardt 17%

Glebe 61%

Balmain 8%

Annandale 6%

Figure 6 indicates that 61% of all steal from person offences in the Leichhardt Police Local Area Command between October 2007 and September 2008 took place in Glebe. Selected quarters for this offence from 2002 to 2007 reveal that figures are

1 Leichhardt Police (2008) op. cit.2 NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics (2008) op. cit.3 Australian Institute of Criminology (2007) op. cit.4 Leichhardt Police op.cit.


generally stable between 20 and up to 40 offences per quarter. From September to the December quarter in 2007 this figure increased from 10 to 36 in common with increases in assault and robberies for the same period1.

In 2007 the most common month for Steal from Person incidents was May followed by March and April. Most common times for these offences was Sunday 12am–6am, then Saturday 12pm–6pm and Sunday 12pm–6pm2.


Steal from Person

Figure 7 reveals that the most common steal from person offences in Glebe occur at its boundary with Ultimo and Chippendale. The Sydney CBD appears to be the area where steal from person offences most commonly occurred in the City of Sydney Local Government Area in 20073.

1 NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (2008) op. cit.2 Ibid3 NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (2008) op. cit.


Victims of steal from person offences from 2002 to 2007 are overwhelmingly female adults. Police report that once again this offence occurs due to the high volume of pedestrians accessing the major institutions of Sydney University, Broadway Shopping Centre and Glebe Point Road. Most commonly stolen property includes cash, mobile phones and ipods1.

4.6 Steal from Motor Vehicle

Table 4: Five year trend – Steal from Motor Vehicle – No. of incidents recorded

by NSW Police for postcode 2037 – Glebe–Forest Lodge 2002–2007

Offence 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

5 Year

Trend

Steal from Motor Vehicle 688 867 606 341 496 908 Stable

Table 4 indicates that rates of steal from motor vehicle offences in the Glebe–Forest Lodge area have remained relatively stable from 2002–2007. This trend is in keeping with the state-wide stable trend for this offence category2. Table four also denotes a marked increase from 2006–2007 again in keeping with the trend of other crimes previously listed.

Figure 8: Steal from Motor Vehicle – Leichhardt Police Area Command –

October 2007–September 2008


Leichhardt 16%

Glebe 50%

Balmain 11%

Annandale 11%

Figure 8 shows that exactly half of all steal from motor vehicle offences for the year 2007 occurred in Glebe. According to BOCSAR figures by quarter in 2007 March recorded 148 offences, the June quarter 212, September 272 and December 276. The previous time this number reached over 200 was back in the December quarter of 20033.

1 Leichhardt Police (2008) op. cit.2 NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics (2008) op. cit.3 Ibid


Figure 9: 2007 City of Sydney Local Government Area Hot spot map for Steal

from Motor Vehicle offences

Figure 9 reveals that in 2007 the southern end of Glebe was one of the hardest hit areas for steal from motor vehicle offences in the City of Sydney Local Government Area1. Unlike many suburban areas in the Sydney metropolitan area Glebe has few garages necessitating the bulk of cars being parked on the street. According to Police many vehicles belong to people visiting from out of the area who leave valuables such as laptop computers, GPS systems, mobile phones, ipods, wallets, cash, CDs and sunglasses in their cars.

1 NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics (2008) op. cit.


In 2007 most steal from motor vehicle offences occurred in August, September and July. The most common times for these offences were Fridays between 6pm and 12am, Tuesdays 6pm to 12am and Wednesdays 6pm–12am. From 2004–2006 a total of 10 juveniles were considered as persons of interest for steal from motor vehicle offences in the Glebe–Forest Lodge area. This figure increased markedly in 2007 to 57 when 41 males and 16 females were counted in this category more than double the number of adults for the same year. Numbers of victims also increased markedly from 2006 to 2007 with numbers of victims associated with offences increasing from 584 in 2006 to 1051 in 2007.

4.7 Malicious Damage

Table 5: Five year trend – Malicious Damage to Property – No. of incidents

recorded by NSW Police for Postcode 2037 Glebe and Forest Lodge 2002–2007

Offence 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

5 Year

Trend

Malicious Damage to Property 371 356 352 296 319 425 Stable

Table 5 shows that rates for malicious damage to property have remained stable in the Glebe–Forest Lodge area from 2002–2007. This is against the State-wide trend which from July 2003 to June 2008 increased by 3.5%.

Figure 10: Malicious Damage to Property – Leichhardt Police Local Area

Command – October 2007 – September 2008


Leichhardt 17%

Glebe 38%

Balmain 20%

Annandale 9%

Figure 10 above reveals that 38% of all malicious damage to property offences in the Leichhardt Police Area Command occurred in Glebe in 20071. According to BOCSAR selected offences by quarter show that the June, September and December quarters for malicious damage all topped 100 offences a figure which had not been recorded since December 2004.

1 Leichhardt Police (2008) op. cit.



Malicious damage to property

Figure 11 shows that the southern end of Glebe has one of the highest crime densities for malicious damage in the City of Sydney LGA for 2007. Most malicious damage offences for the year took place in the spring months of September, October and November with the most common times for the offence being the weekends between 12am and 6am1.

1 NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research op. cit. (2008)


4.8 Responding to Crime and Safety issues in Glebe

The Leichhardt Local Area Command conducts the following strategies to reduce these particular offences and reduce the perception of fear of crime within the community.

Local Operations continuing include:

Synergy – Beat Policing focusing on street offences, antisocial behaviour and theft.

Focus – deployment of various officers from General Duty, Criminal Investigation, Crime Management Unit, Highway Patrol for high visibility impact and interaction with the Community to gather intelligence from various sources.

Curfew/Bail Compliance checks to ensure that offenders are complying with bail conditions which may require offenders to be at home between the hours of 8pm – 8am (can vary).

Local Vikings Operations targeting specific crime categories and various locations.

Review of crime every 24 hours, targeting of recidivist offenders and new releases from goal.

Use of forensic technologies to identify offenders.

Daily tasking and deployment of Command staff to hot spot areas.

Deployment of the Commands Crime Prevention Team which includes regular overt and covert operations targeting key crime categories.

Deployment of additional resources including Dog Squad, Mounted Police, Commuter Crime Unit and Region Response Teams.

Media releases to advise of crime prevention strategies

Licensing Police have continued to work with licensed premises in establishing a Liquor accord in Glebe, in an attempt to reduce alcohol related crime.

The Command has a Crime Management Unit which consists of a Crime Coordinator, Education and Development officer, Licensing Unit, Domestic Violence Liaison Officer, two Youth Liaison Officers, Crime Prevention Officer, Intelligence Cell, Traffic Unit. All of these specialist areas provide professional advice to victims of crime and build crime prevention strategies to reduce crime.

The Command is working with a number of stakeholders on a range of programs most of which are described in greater detail in the strategy section of this plan, including the Anti-social Behaviour Project, the Community Safety Audit, the After Dark Program, the Horse Whisperer program, mentoring and leadership program, beautician program and participation in community events such as the Good Neighbourhood BBQs.


Leichhardt Police also run the Community Safety Precinct Meeting with a charter involving to:

Ensure Local Area Commanders are communicating to their local communities;

Encourage community partnerships to reduce crime and the fear of crime;

Develop local solutions to local crime in partnership with local stakeholders;

Improve public safety and reduce the fear of crime at a local level; raise understanding of the relationship between policing and crime reduction and

Ensure Commanders take into account local community views on police visibility, police deployment and crime hotspots when deciding police tasking and deployment.

In addition the Command has ongoing community consultation through the Principals Forum, attendance at Local Chamber of Commerce Meetings and the Coalition of Glebe Groups (COGG) forum, Bay St and Franklyn St Complex Meeting and the Local Area Command Aboriginal Consultative Committee and youth subgroup.

The Command works with Glebe Youth Services, PCYC, City of Sydney Council and local businesses to continue providing appropriate programs for young people which are described in more detail later in this plan.


The City understands that community consultation is a vital process in any integrated planning process and that under the Local Government Act (1993) has a responsibility to work with local communities to identify key issues and to develop responses which involve the local community.

The community consultation strategy for the development of the Glebe Community Safety Plan has involved holding one on one conversations with key stakeholders and to engage with the wider community through a series of Good Neighbourhood BBQs. The Good Neighbourhood BBQs were held over August–September 2008 in a series of informal park and reserve locations across the Glebe area – see program at Appendix 1.

In recognition that the key to effective consultation involves working in partnership, the BBQs were co-ordinated by the City, Leichhardt Police, Glebe Community Development Project and Glebe Schools Community Centre. The aim of the BBQs was to provide a casual and informal atmosphere for people to meet their neighbours and to provide the City and its partner agencies with information on key issues facing the community and ideas for addressing the identified issues.

Community members were requested to either complete a survey which appears at Appendix 2 or by marking specific locations on a map of Glebe which respondents felt were either appealing or in need of improvement.

Over 500 people attended the BBQs over the two month period.

5.1 Key findings

Community Survey Responses

Respondents of the survey ranged in age from less than 10 years old through to over 76 years of age. 84% of respondents lived in Glebe with over 64% being from a non-English speaking background. 6% of people who completed the survey identified as Aboriginal while almost 20% of respondents had a disability. The survey deliberately asked open ended questions about what people saw as the strengths of the community, what might make it a better place and how might any suggestions be turned into action. The most common responses were:

5. COMMUNITY CONSULTATION


Question 1 asked respondents what they believe are the great strengths of the Glebe Community. Most common responses were:

Strong sense of community – “friendly”, “genuine”, “close-knit”, “open-minded people”

Socio-economic mix – “diversity”, “all income groups”, “accepting”, “tolerant people who work together”

Shops and services – “central location to access a great range of shops and services”

Parks, Open spaces and playgrounds – “beautiful and well maintained parks and reserves”.

Specific comments from individuals relating to the strengths of the Glebe community are mentioned throughout the document.

Question 2 asked respondents to identify ways of making the Glebe community a better place. Most common responses were:

More community engagement – including more community projects such as events and activities particularly for young people, community gardens, Good Neighbourhood BBQs

Work on the built environment – including completing the work on Glebe Point Road

Less crime – including more community policing and highly visible policing.

The final question asked respondents for suggestions on how best to turn their suggestions at Question 2 into actions. Most common responses were:

More community engagement – through community projects, events and activities

Greater Police Involvement


Map of Glebe Responses

When people were asked where their favourite places in Glebe were the most common responses were:

Jubilee Park

Blackwattle Bay Park

Bi-centennial Park

Glebe Point Road

Glebe Public School market

Wentworth Park

Broadway Shopping Centre

When respondents were asked to identify parts of the area which they felt were in need of improvement the most common responses were:

Glebe Street

Franklyn Street

Bay Street

Broadway Shopping Centre Car Park

5.2 Other recent Community Consultations

The City recognises that a number of other strategies and documents have involved community consultation with stakeholders in the Glebe community and acknowledges this information in informing the development of this plan.

5.2.1. 2005, 2006, 2007 City of Sydney Community Satisfaction Survey

In 2005 the City of Sydney undertook an annual Community Satisfaction Survey in order to understand the satisfaction levels of their community base. For comparative purposes the City was divided into four zones (CBD, West, East and South) with 100 interviews conducted within each zone. The survey was repeated in 2006 and again in 2007. Glebe formed part of the West Zone.

Table 4: Safety in Public Areas – City of Sydney Household Survey 2005–2007

Safety in Public Areas 2005 2006 2007

Excellent/Good/Adequate 75% 74% 73%

Needs Improvement 24% 26% 27%

Table 4 above indicates that the rates for how safe people feel in public areas and the need for improvement in the City of Sydney have remained relatively stable.


Table 5: Safety in Public Areas – City of Sydney Household Survey West Zone

(including Glebe) 2005–2007

Safety in Public Areas 2005 2006 2007

Excellent/Good/Adequate 62% 75% 75%

Needs Improvement 38% 25% 25%

Table 5 above indicates that there has been some improvement in terms of how safe people feel in the West Zone of the survey. The rate indicating the need for improvement improved significantly from 2005 to 2006 and was stable over the last year.

The most common responses to areas of improvement for each of the three years were for more security/improved street lighting, more Police patrols, greater police presence and improved responses to robbery and vandalism offences1.

5.2.2. Local Area Action Plan North West 2007

During 2005 the City of Sydney established the Local Action Plan strategy to work with local communities to identify priorities for specific areas and to develop an action plan to implement the identified strategies. Ten zones across the City were mapped out with the North West Zone encompassing Glebe, Forest Lodge and parts of Camperdown. This is in line with the Sustainable Sydney 2030 Strategy of developing activity hubs as a focus for the City’s village communities and transport. Through a survey, focus groups and a review of community group strategic plans the City gathered information identifying the neighbourhood’s unique qualities deserving of protection and enhancement, suggested improvements, recreation and services needs.

The significant qualities valued by the North West community are “diversity”, “village atmosphere”, “trees and architecture” and “proximity to the City”.

Shared community values were identified including celebrating village heritage, people before cars, parks and play and peace, community, creative, cultural strategic partnerships to advance a range of community building and project strategies and a safe, clean and thriving village.

Specific actions relating to safety suggested by the community include lighting and pavement upgrades, a youth engagement strategy including social development programs, drop-in centres and community spaces, introducing partnerships for community building and more Police on the beat2.

1 City of Sydney (2005–2007) Community Satisfaction Survey2 City of Sydney, (2007), Local Action Plan


5.2.3 Glebe Business Precinct Strategy 2007

In December 2007 the City of Sydney commissioned consultants to undertake a study of the Glebe Business Precinct. The core objectives of the study were to gather information and consult with local stakeholders to better understand the dynamics of the precinct and issues that affect its economic viability.

A survey of local businesses revealed that the top three factors having a negative impact on turnover were lack of parking, competition from Broadway shopping centre, youth-related crime, vandalism, night time security, lack of good lighting and security cameras. Businesses felt that one of the top three improvements to their businesses was to address crime issues to make Glebe a safer community.

A face to face survey was also administered to 100 shoppers and visitors as part of the study. Respondents reported that crime – especially at night ranked seventh in terms of most frequently cited general comments about shopping in Glebe1.

5.2.4 A Survey of Community Services in Glebe and Forest Lodge 2004

In late 2003 consultants undertook a survey of community services in the Glebe/Forest Lodge area to advise on the need for new and improved services, improved co-ordination between services, gaps in service provision, information, accountability and governance. Services included child care centres, youth services, schools, local businesses, art and cultural services, community groups and health services.

Key issues raised by service providers included concerns about public safety, especially after dark in streets and parks, concerns about a lack of street lighting, need for specific after school programs for 10–14 year olds, tensions over a generalised fear of young people, isolated and alienated young people, lack of support for ex-offenders reintegrating into the community and a perception amongst older people that crime levels are very high which has lead to some level of isolation in the home2.

1 City of Sydney (2007) Glebe Business Precinct Study, Hill PDA Consulting2 City of Sydney (2004) A Survey of Community Services in Glebe and Forest Lodge,

Stephens and Associates


5.2.5 The Village of Glebe – Commercial Renewal Study

In June 2003 a series of interviews were conducted with the Police, Housing NSW, resident and community groups and local businesses to identify the key issues concerning various stakeholders in Glebe. Key findings included a need for greater Police visibility, more preventative strategies for young people, improved street lighting and the need for community safety awareness campaigns. The study demonstrates that the key issues have remained consistent over time in Glebe in the last five years.

5.2.6 Key Issues for Consideration in Glebe

The process of developing the plan that is, the crime profile, community consultation feedback and the findings from other studies has demonstrated that the key community safety issues in Glebe are:

1. Reducing crime and anti-social behaviour

2. Addressing school retention, capacity building and diversionary issues for

local young people

3. Developing community capacity building projects with the broader community

4. Addressing Crime and Safety issues in Social Housing

5. Public space management, maintenance and design and

6. Reducing Recidivist offending


The Glebe Community Safety Plan provides a framework to direct the work of the City and its partner agencies in not only improving people’s sense of security in the area but also for investing in broader social initiatives designed to contribute to the community’s overall development. The plan recognises that a number of diverse causes or factors have been identified as underlying criminal and anti-social behaviour involving a range of immediate and longer term social factors. Some of these relate to family violence and neglect, difficulties in school, poor housing, peer pressure and blocked opportunities for social connection and engagement.

The Glebe Community Safety Plan can be broken down into two broad categories: those which focus on social crime prevention and those which stress opportunity reduction measures.

6.1 Social Crime Prevention

Social crime prevention approaches are centred on the underlying causes of crime and assume that crime and anti-social behaviour are intrinsically tied to social conditions, patterns of group behaviour, changing values, and family, school and work dynamics. The social crime prevention measures outlined in this plan have an emphasis on maximising the health and well-being of all members of the Glebe community and enhancing their opportunities to partake in community life as fully as possible.

6.2 Opportunity Reduction Approaches

Opportunity reduction approaches concentrate on reducing the situational, physical or environmental opportunities for crime and aim to make choices more costly in personal terms and to reduce as far as possible the opportunities for crime and anti-social behaviour. One example is crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) which aims to achieve the right balance between the physical and social environment through design, planning and architectural means. Opportunity reduction approaches also look at situational prevention where crime “hot spots” are modified in partnership with planners, Police and other members of the community.

The Glebe Community Safety Plan incorporates elements from each broad strand. The plan recognises that there is no “one size fits all” approach to crime prevention and that any successful strategy will recognise the significance of working in partnership and that complex social issues require a multi-agency approach.

Lastly the Glebe Community Safety Plan recognises that crime and safety issues facing the City and its partners are changeable and that evolving crime prevention practice will inevitably give rise to new methods of addressing crime and building stronger and safer communities.

6. GLEBE COMMUNITY SAFETY PLAN 2009–2012


6.3 Aim

To improve actual and perceived public safety and amenity for all members of the Glebe and broader community.

6.4 Objectives

The Glebe Community Safety Plan will meet this aim by:

1. Reducing crime and anti-social behaviour – including working with the Police and other stakeholders in addressing robbery, steal from person, steal from motor vehicle and malicious damage offences.

2. Addressing school retention, and addressing capacity building and diversionary

issues for local young people – including developing a supported transition and school retention strategy with local schools, mentoring and leadership programs and through the provision of youth community development and recreation programs

3. Developing community capacity building projects with the broader community

– including co-ordinating and supporting community events and activities

4. Tackling Crime and Safety issues in Public Housing – including supporting the Glebe Area Tenants Group and other community groups in developing and implementing identified community development projects

5. Improving the look and feel of the physical environment – including community safety audits, improved street lighting, activation of laneways, community mural projects, respect for heritage and appropriate urban design

6. Targeting offenders released from Prison – including working with the state government and local non-government organisations in supporting ex-offenders successful reintegration in to the community.


6.5 Guiding Principles

The City of Sydney is committed to a crime prevention approach that:

Delivers a measurable reduction in crime

Improves quality of life for all members of the City community

Delivers best practice, evidence-based and economically sustainable solutions that provide the greatest benefit to all members of the City community

Works in partnership, and in meaningful consultation with other levels of government, business and residential communities

Includes an active advocacy role that promotes comprehensive and coordinated public policy responses to crime

Recognises that crime and the causes of crime are complex and require multi-faceted strategies which address the needs of specific locations and target groups

Recognises the need for primary prevention and early intervention.

Respects the right of all community members to use public spaces.

All of the objectives which follow are interconnected and the document should be read and applied as a whole. The planning process also acknowledges that existing activities are already being undertaken by a range of people and organisations which relate to the strength and diversity of the Glebe community and more indirectly to the community’s overall sense of security. Where possible these critical initiatives have been acknowledged in the plan.

Objective 1 – Reducing Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour

“Glebe is for everyone – everyone works together and helps each other.” – 60 year old male resident

The most common crimes that occur in the Glebe area are assaults, robbery, steal from person, steal from motor vehicle and malicious damage. The City acknowledges that the N.S.W. Police are the lead agency in tackling crime, and as such coordinates initiatives which seek to reduce crime in conjunction with police operations.

The key focus of the City’s work in reducing crime is through educating all members of our community to ensure that people are both informed and involved in ways to make their community an even safer place. The City achieves this by co-ordinating efficient and effective responses with N.S.W. Police and other Government partners and by improving the ability of all community members to respond to crime and safety issues.


The following strategies have been developed following a review of the crime profile, community consultation, existing research and discussions with key community stakeholders aimed at reducing and preventing crime and anti-social behaviour.

Measurable outcomes:

Through implementing the following strategies, the Plan will reduce the number of the following offences:

Assaults

Steal From Person

Steal From Motor Vehicle

The Plan will also seek to increase the perceived level of safety as reported in the City of Sydney’s annual Customer Satisfaction Survey.

Strategy Partners

Objective/

Target Area

1.1 Establish a Liquor Licensing Accord in Glebe.

Leichhardt Police

City of Sydney

Office of Liquor, Gaming & Racing

Local hotels and restaurants

Assault (DV. and non DV)

1.2 Disseminate City of Sydney/NSW Police booklet for victims of domestic violence

Leichhardt Police

City of Sydney

Assaults (DV)

1.3 Provide assistance to frontline services addressing domestic violence (ie” Elsie’s Refuge) via Council’s community and accommodation grants programs.

City of Sydney Assaults (DV)

1.4 Continue to promote the Gone in a Flash campaign asking the public to protect their personal belongings campaign in hot spot locations.

City of Sydney Steal From Person

1.5 Conduct a review of and explore expansion of the Stop Theft campaign to prevent Steal from Motor Vehicle offences including signage and other options for promoting the key message.

City of Sydney Steal From Person


1.6 Conduct a Safety Audit of Broadway shopping centre car park as part of the City’s review of safety in such facilities.

Broadway Shopping Centre

Leichhardt Police

City of Sydney



Strategy Partners

Objective/

Target Area

1.7 Disseminate information resources to ensure the safety of local students, in a range of community languages.

City of Sydney

Leichhardt Police

Sydney University

University of Technology, Ultimo TAFE

Assault

Robbery

Steal From Person


1.8 Conduct Street Smart classes for local residents

City of Sydney

Leichhardt Police

Assault

Robbery


Objective 2 – Addressing school retention, and addressing capacity building

and diversionary issues for local young people

“Glebe is a great mix of rich and poor and many nationalities – it’s a lovely place to grow up”. – 14 year old female resident

Adolescence and early adulthood are crucial times in an individual’s life. It is when young people face new challenges, learn new skills and coping mechanisms and lead more independent lives. Young people who offend early are more likely to go on to be adult offenders1. A great deal of research into the issues challenging local young people has been conducted in the development of the plan with many people expressing concerns that the offending behaviour on the part of a small number of young people in Glebe has been very visible and a matter of great concern to their families, to local residents, business and the wider community.

The Crime Profile, community consultation process, a review of existing research and discussions with key stakeholders have raised a number of concerns relating to young people in Glebe. Issues highlighted have included family dysfunction and an absence of appropriate male role models, limited resources aimed at sustaining supported transition and school retention, a lack of Aboriginal-specific family support services,

1 Commonwealth Attorney General’s Department (2007) National Community Crime Prevention Programme, Young People and Crime Prevention, Tip Sheet No. 7

* Defined as swearing, loud noise, verbal assault, defecation/urination, speeding cars in public places or offences which may adversely affect neighbourhood amenity or the social well-being of others.


under-resourced local youth organisations, expensive start-up costs in relation to accessing some programs and the lack of outreach services across the broader City community for local young people.

The following organisations are currently providing the key services and support to identified at-risk local young people in the Glebe area.

NSW Government Anti-Social Behaviour Pilot Project

The State Government recently announced the expansion of the Anti-Social Behaviour Project to the Leichhardt Police Local Area Command area covering Glebe, Annandale, Leichhardt, Lilyfield, Rozelle and Balmain. Agencies such as the Police, Education and Training, Community Services, Housing NSW and Health will work together to provide a co-ordinated and intensive multi-agency response at the local level to at-risk and vulnerable young people. The model is based on early intervention and will ensure that there is increased support for those young people considered at most risk of engaging in criminal and anti-social behaviour.

The NSW Department of Juvenile Justice also runs additional programs which support at-risk young people including the Offenders Focus program targeting recidivist prevention and Follow My Track which focuses on assisting young people with drug and alcohol issues.

Glebe Public School

Glebe Public School is the main Government school in Glebe located on Glebe Point Road. The school is a Priority School and receives additional funding to support literacy, numeracy and community participation as well as additional staffing. Through this funding, the school employs additional staff to undertake programming in these high support areas. Glebe Market occupies the site each Saturday. The school receives funding from the Schools in Partnership Program (SIP) to support parent and community participation in maximising student learning outcomes. The school supports a large Aboriginal and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse community.

The school runs the innovative Headstart program run by Glebe Schools Community Centre in conjunction with the school which aims to familiarise children with the school and its routines in the year before they start kindergarten.


Sydney Secondary College

Since the beginning of 2005 Balmain and Leichhardt have been Year 7–10 campuses with a focus on middle schooling initiatives. Blackwattle Bay, the site of the former Glebe High School has become the senior campus where students in years 11 and 12 have the broadest curriculum, including links to universities and TAFE.

The NSW Government has spent over $16 million on refurbishment across the college giving students increased access to state of the art facilities.

Both Leichhardt and Balmain campuses offer academically selective streams, comprehensive streams and enrichment programs featuring performing and visual arts, sports and leadership.

Whilst many students from the Glebe community make a successful transition from Glebe, Ultimo and Forest Lodge Primary Schools to the middle school campuses at Leichhardt and Balmain, there are some students who do not transition so easily. Some of the barriers include:

Moving out of the Glebe area to suburbs and school environments to which young people do not readily identify.

A family history of not attending secondary school.

Accessing public transport on a regular basis for the first time.

Problems in coping with the additional challenges and responsibilities of high school.

City of Sydney Youth Services

The City of Sydney is an active partner in a range of services and programs for young people in Glebe. The City runs a supervised sports program 4 days per week at the Peter Forsyth Auditorium (PFA) which has included basketball, touch football, soccer and netball as well as a BBQ. Between 20 and 30 young people attend programs at PFA depending on the night and the program being offered. The City also runs a full time school holiday program in partnership with PCYC and co-ordinates the “Girlzone” Project one afternoon per week at Glebe Youth Services which provides living skills to girls aged 8–12. Around 15 girls regularly attend the “Girlzone” project.

The City funds the After Dark Program on Friday and Saturday nights at Glebe Youth Services and Peter Forsyth Auditorium and provides a youth worker one day per week at the PCYC to assist with the “On The Move” program, a living skills and recreation project for the 9–14 year age group. The City has also funded the Short Black Films project which provides an opportunity for local at-risk Aboriginal young people to learn about and participate in all aspects of short film making including script writing, editing, acting, sound and lighting. This program regularly attracts 15 young people.


The City is currently undertaking a review of Youth Services in the Local Government Area (LGA). The aim of the Youth Services Review will be to provide the City with a comprehensive review of existing services and programs currently on offer to young people. The review will also identify any gaps in the delivery of services and programs and will consider measures to supplement them. The research will identify future trends around demand for youth services in the City of Sydney and make recommendations on how this should be met by the City and other youth service providers within the LGA. The Review commenced on 7th November 2008 and be completed by May 2009.

The City has also been working in partnership with Glebe’s Aboriginal Employment Strategy and GMW Urban to facilitate the involvement of Aboriginal apprentices, labourers and tradesmen on the Glebe Point Road streetscape upgrade program. Five Aboriginal people have been employed as part of this program alone.

Glebe Youth Services

Glebe Youth Service is a non-Government funded organisation situated on Glebe Point Road dedicated to the recreation and support of young people who live, work, study or play in the Glebe area. The service is funded by the N.S.W. Department of Community Services and City of Sydney with other agencies providing support funding.

The majority of young people who attend the service are from the Glebe public housing area that covers most of the southern part of the suburb. Most attendees are Aboriginal and many come from backgrounds which put them at serious disadvantage including poor health, over-representation in the criminal justice system, family dysfunction, truancy, literacy and numeracy deficiencies and alcohol and drug use and misuse.

Glebe Youth Services employs three full time staff and aims to provide young people with the skills and information they need to move forward in a positive way through recreation programs, casework, living skills, literacy and numeracy support, re-engaging with mainstream education options and art, music and video production projects. An estimated 20–30 young people access these programs daily.

Glebe PCYC

Originally established in 1937 as Police Boys Club, today’s Police and Community Youth Club in north-west Glebe works with local young people to develop qualities of responsible citizenship and leadership in the local community. Similar to Glebe Youth Services, the PCYC works with many of the young people from the Glebe Housing Estate.


The PCYC runs a homework club for local young people and also the Learn for a Better Life Program which provides assistance to largely 12–14 years olds who have had experience in the criminal justice system or are considered at risk. The service also provides drop-in, a touch football program, a café program and the Junior Leaders program. One full time and one part-time staff member run these programs.

The PCYC also runs the “On The Move” Project which includes, living skills and recreational opportunities including a school holiday program and convenes an interagency forum for local youth service providers.

Activities at the club include boxing, basketball, indoor soccer, gymbaroo, a gymnasium, karate, and touch football. An estimated 20–30 young people access these programs weekly.


Through implementing the following strategies, the Plan will aim to increase the level of engagement of young people in the Glebe area, measurable by the number of young people participating in:

Schooling beyond year 8

Youth recreational diversionary programs

Youth employment and training programs

The following strategies have been developed to address the needs of young people in Glebe in relation to community safety after examining existing research, community consultation and discussions with key staff working in the area.

Strategy Partners

Objective/

Target Area

2.0 Develop a supported transition and school retention strategy which supports local primary and high school students and their families.

The City of Sydney, Dept. of Education and Training, Glebe Public School, Ultimo and Forest Lodge Primary Schools Plunkett Street Primary School, Leichhardt Balmain, Blackwattle Campuses of Sydney Secondary College, local youth organisations and non-government organisations.

School retention

Capacity building


Strategy Partners

Objective/

Target Area

2.1 Review the provision of Youth Services across the City of Sydney including Glebe. A fully costed report to Council about youth service provision for the Glebe area will be reported mid 2009.

City of Sydney, Glebe Youth Services, Glebe PCYC

Diversion

Capacity Building

2.2 Continue the extended youth services programming including employing Aboriginal staff at the Peter Forsyth Auditorium and continue to hold events which activate the outdoor area through community activities and events through increased hours of programming to 7pm.

City of Sydney Diversion

Capacity building

2.3 Provide funding for a part-time Youth Diversionary Officer for the under-serviced “Tweenies” 9–14 age group.

City of Sydney

Glebe Youth Services

Glebe PCYC

School retention

Capacity building

2.4 Advocate to State and Commonwealth Governments for an Aboriginal Family Support Service in Glebe.

City of Sydney, businesses, community organisations, resident groups

School retention

Capacity building

2.5 Continue to support the roll-out of innovative projects such as Short Black Films project, young mum’s group and other community projects assisting disadvantaged young people

City of Sydney Capacity building

2.6 Continue to support Indigenous Employment in Glebe through the capital works projects, including the proposed Glebe Affordable Housing Project. Deliver TAFE courses on construction, demolition, paving and horticulture for disadvantaged young people.

City of Sydney

Aboriginal Employment Strategy

Relevant Contractors

TAFE

Capacity building


Objective 3 – Developing community capacity building projects with the

broader community – including co-ordinating and supporting community

events and activities

“Glebe has a diversity where there is a tolerance of different lifestyles – in Glebe we have the freedom to be who we are”.– 35 year old male resident

The good health or otherwise of a community will largely depend on its basic institutions such as the family and kin, work and communal associations. Areas which are said to have a high social capital are characterised by a strong sense of community, management of issues for the common good, high levels of involvement, optimism in the future, personal action and advocacy. Simple acts like saying “hello” to people on the street, builds friendship ties and mutual solidarity among previously anonymous residents of a neighbourhood. Once these ties are formed people increase their tendency to look out for each other and their property which in turn can make people feel safer.

One of the key community development issues raised during the community consultation process was that Glebe currently lacks a central community centre to provide the base for a range of community programs and services in the area. Much additional feedback has concerned the suggestions for more community events and activities such as community BBQs, community gardens and outdoor cinema in partnership with local residents and community organisations.

It is recognised that Glebe supports an impressive array of local organisations who are each contributing to a range of community strengthening activities and events in the suburb. These groups many of whom belong to the Coalition of Glebe Groups (COGG) include the Glebe Chamber of Commerce, the Glebe Society, the Glebe Assistance and Partnership Program at St John’s Church, Glebe Uniting Church, Hope Street Community Church, the Glebe Community Development Project in partnership with Sydney University and Housing NSW, (which convenes the Forest Lodge And Glebe Group, FLAG), the Salvation Army, TAFE Outreach Ultimo, Glebe Community Op-Shop, the Blackwattle Bay Coalition, Glebe Community Action Group and Glebe Area Tenant’s Group.


The City of Sydney

The City of Sydney has been active in contributing to a number of community development projects in the Glebe area.

The City has supported the Glebe Chamber of Commerce through a business support grant to implement a Marketing Plan which includes developing a Visitor’s Guide and Map, additional funding to stage the 2008 Glebe Street Fair, and to develop a new three year branding and marketing strategy.

Every year, the City coordinates BIZSAFE forums and has commissioned the Glebe Business Precinct Study which has conducted extensive research into the economic dynamics of the Glebe precinct.

The City of Sydney also supports a number of events and activities in the Glebe area including NAIDOC Week event, National Tree Planting Day, Live Green, Glebe Community Pride, Glebe Art Show, Good Neighbourhood BBQs, Seniors Safety forums and Glebe Book Fair. The City has funded some 66 services and projects through its grants and sponsorship program over 2007–2008, and provides accommodation grants to communit6y organisations at a number of sites in Glebe – most notably at Benledi House on Glebe Point Road.

The City also runs a range of successful programs and services from the Glebe Library and the St Helen’s Aged Activity Centre.

Research has shown that the safest communities are not those with the most police and prisons but those with the strongest community structures1. The following strategies have been developed in acknowledging that by investing in social capital, by nurturing and understanding our communities and making people feel a true sense of belonging, we are well on the way to a more harmonious, civil and comfortable Glebe.


Through implementing the following strategies, the Plan will aim to increase community cohesion in the Glebe area, measurable by the number of:

New partnership programs delivered

Grants supported

Youth employment and training programs delivered

1 Graycar A. (1999) Crime and Social Capital – Speech to Australian Crime Prevention Council, Melbourne


Strategy Partners

Objective/Target

Area

3.0 Consider options for community centre configurations as part of the Integrated Facilities Plan.


3.1 Support Glebe 150 Year Celebrations in 2009

City of Sydney, The Glebe Society, Glebe Chamber of Commerce, community groups and residents

Capacity building

3.2 Continue to support a range of community strengthening activities through the City’s various Grants Programs.


3.3 Analyse, develop and trial support mechanisms to improve better communications between schools, Government and community services.

Sydney University

City of Sydney

Government agencies, non-Government organisations, Ultimo TAFE

Capacity building

3.4 Continue to conduct Safety forums and deliver programs to build community inclusion which target specific sections of the community such as BIZSAFE for local businesses, young people and Seniors safety.

City of Sydney

Leichhardt Police

Housing NSW,

Glebe Chamber of Commerce

NRMA Insurance

Capacity building

3.5 Work with key Glebe stakeholders such as the Coalition of Glebe Groups (COGG) and Housing NSW to deliver community building programs.

City of Sydney

Housing NSW

COGG

Capacity building


Objective 4 – Tackling Crime and Safety issues in Public Housing – including

supporting the Glebe Area Tenants Group and other community groups in

developing and implementing identified community development projects

“Glebe has everything you need – in Glebe you never feel alone”– 27 year old female resident

The City of Sydney contains over 9,000 Housing NSW properties across several suburbs with Glebe being prominent among them with over 1,400 properties. Public housing areas have increasingly become sites of economic and social disadvantage, physical deterioration and crime. This is due to number of inter-related factors including reduced Federal funding for public housing, increased demand, targeted allocations, geographic isolation, inadequate investment in local infrastructure and services and poorly maintained housing stock1.

Samuels et al’s (2004) study investigated a range of crime reduction strategies employed by housing, police and other agencies in NSW, Queensland and South Australia and concluded that best practice for crime reduction in areas of public housing concentration involves:

A broad whole-of-Government, place management approach

Extensive community consultation

Integrated initiatives targeting early intervention, drug and alcohol abuse, training and employment, social enterprise development, domestic violence and family/community conferencing for offenders

A locally based housing management team with community development training

A strong community policing approach

Organisation of community and cultural events to build community spirit and break down stigma and

Building social capital through enhancing community well-being and self-esteem and increasing social cohesion2.

1 Samuels R., Judd B., O’Brien B., Barton J. (2004) Linkages between housing, policing and other interventions for crime and harassment reduction in areas with public housing concentrations, Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI)

2 Samuels (2004) Et al Op. cit.


The same study found a number of policy implications emerging from the project:

Support for whole-of-Government, integrated, multi-agency approaches to crime reduction and community renewal

Preference for social over physical strategies in renewal programs

High priority being placed on crime reduction in community renewal policy

Review of allocation policies that result in the concentration of disadvantage

Importance of community-oriented policing and good relationships between crime prevention officers and local residents

Importance of locally-based housing management teams and empathetic relationships with housing communities

Need for systematic monitoring of crime profiles over time and

Applying evaluation methodologies in research1.

Housing NSW

Housing NSW (formerly the Department of Housing) is one of the largest providers of social housing in the world, providing a range of housing options to meet the needs of today’s community. Housing NSW provides affordable housing opportunities for those with the greatest needs and works with a range of agencies to support individuals and communities.

Housing NSW also sets aside funding each year to run a number of activities that enable tenants to have a say in decisions that affect their homes and neighbourhoods. The Glebe Area Tenants Group has been established to work on a number of community initiatives and celebrations with a focus on health and well-being.

Housing NSW supports tenant participation as it aims to build partnerships between tenants and social housing providers to:

Improve skills, knowledge and ultimately the quality of life of social housing tenants

Support and strengthen communities and to

Improve the way social housing is delivered and managed2.

1 Samuels (2004) Et al Op. cit.2 Housing NSW (2008) Website, www.housing.nsw.gov.au


Housing NSW has been active in Glebe in addressing a number of identified community safety issues in Glebe including:

Removal of facades to prevent access to rooves for would-be offenders.

Blocking off the Franklyn Street entrance/exit.

Developing a plan to divide the Bay Franklyn complex into three separate areas with swipe card access in line with Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles.

Developing a strategy to improve security and implement recycling measures at the Bay Franklyn garbage disposal area.

Developing a strategy aimed at upgrading and maximising the use of underground car parks.

Active participation in the Glebe Community Safety Audit (see Objective 5).

Member of Glebe Anti-social Behaviour Pilot Project.

Implementing the Supporting Young Parents Project in partnership with Elsie Women’s Refuge and the Department of Community Services which aims to provide housing and/or support to young parents under 24 with young children or young expecting parents with a priority given to young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents.

Employment of an Anti-social behaviour officer who assists in the planning and implementation of initiatives and strategies for improving Housing NSW tenancies and communities.

The process for developing the Glebe Community Safety Plan has revealed that many people are concerned about the needs of public housing tenants in the area.

The City of Sydney

The City of Sydney is an active partner in supporting public housing tenants across the Local Government Area (LGA). The City has appointed a Public Housing Liaison Officer to work with tenants on a range of initiatives and to develop an LGA-wide Public Housing Community Safety Plan. The City also provides a number of services to older public housing tenants through meals on wheels, podiatry and a range of recreational activities at St. Helen’s Community Centre on Glebe Point Road. The City also has a strategy in place to prioritise its Street Lighting upgrade program in public housing areas – see Objective 5, Improving the look and feel of the physical environment.


Glebe Affordable Housing Project

The City of Sydney is working with Housing NSW to investigate innovative affordable housing in the Glebe area. The Project is part of the State Government’s Metropolitan Strategy and the Inner West Strategy for Social Housing and the City of Sydney’s Sustainable 2030 vision for more affordable housing contributing to a more diverse and cohesive community.


Through implementing the following strategies, the Plan will aim to improve social cohesion by measuring the number of:

Community capacity building initiatives undertaken by Glebe Area Tenants Group and other community stakeholders

Grants provided by the City to Glebe community groups

The following strategies have been developed to address crime and safety issues in public housing area:

Strategy Partners

Objective/

Target Area

4.1 Develop a Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Sydney and Housing NSW to address common issues in Glebe Public Housing areas.

City of Sydney

Housing NSW

Crime and Safety in Public Housing

4.2 Support Glebe Area Tenants Group and Joanna O’Dea public housing tenants in developing and implementing a range of health and well-being initiatives.

City of Sydney

Housing NSW

Dept Health

Community organisations

Ultimo TAFE


4.3 Develop a Public Housing Community Safety Strategy which addresses Glebe priority issues which includes a number of action-based initiatives aimed at improving the health and well being of public housing tenants.

City of Sydney

Housing NSW



Objective 5 – Improving the look and feel of the physical environment–

including community safety audits, improved street lighting, activation of

laneways, community mural projects, respect for heritage and appropriate

urban design.

“Glebe has everything – a diversity of people and shops, beautifully kept foreshores and parks, bike and walking tracks and an abundance of services”. – 55 year old female resident

In recent times there has been growing public awareness and research to support the idea that the physical environment both built and natural shapes every day behaviour. While the causes of crime are complex, criminal behaviour is shaped by the same forces. For the criminal this can mean opportunity if the context that permits the commission of crime goes unnoticed. In hindsight we might well ask to what extent did the environment contribute to the crime and to what extent could the owner or designer have prevented or deterred the crime? Good urban design used sensitively can not only be instrumental in producing attractive and well managed environments, it can also play an integral part in both reducing perceptions of fear and help to discourage criminal or anti-social behaviour.

The community consultation process and a review of the crime profile and existing studies has revealed that while the community are generally satisfied with the state of the environment in Glebe there remain areas where improvements can still be made.

Glebe Community Safety Audit

In April 2008 a Community Safety Audit was conducted in a number of designated areas at the southern end of the suburb. The aim of the audit was to involve a range of key community stakeholders in identifying and documenting aspects of the physical environment which impacted on people’s sense of safety and security. The areas which were audited had experienced a recent spate of vandalism, steal from motor vehicle offences and malicious damage which was reflected in the increased crime statistics for those offence categories.

A number of issues were identified including inadequate lighting, closed sightlines, lack of signage, traffic and transport issues and issues such as graffiti relating to general maintenance. The audit participants also acknowledged some of the design limitations relating to areas of the public domain due to historical factors in terms of addressing some of the identified concerns.

A working party has since been established charged with following up with the various authorities responsible for addressing the identified concerns.


City of Sydney

The City of Sydney is the main authority responsible for much of the maintenance and upgrading of the Glebe Public Domain. Some of the more recent upgrades in Glebe have included:

Street Lighting

Street lighting was a commonly identified community safety issue identified in the development of this plan. The City works with its provider Energy Australia on upgrading street lighting across the Local Government Area. The City’s Public Domain Lighting Strategy seeks to improve the quality and amount of lighting in public areas, yet reduce greenhouse emissions by approximately 14% through improved energy efficiency. Street lighting currently accounts for 40–45% of all Council’s electricity usage. The City has been participating in a trial with Energy Australia and has installed 100 efficient T5 Greenstreet Luminaires which use about 40% less energy and produce a 75% increase in light intensity in Glebe.

Glebe Street, Franklyn Street and Cowper Streets have all recently been upgraded from Mercury Vapour lights with energy efficient 100 watt high pressure sodium luminaires with log bracket arms to clear foliage. Colbourne Avenue and Railway, Darghan, Lyndhurst, Broughton, Cardigan and Bellevue Streets have also recently been upgraded including replacement of obsolete twin fluorescent fittings with current standard 80 watt Mercury Vapour luminaires.

Some of the locations where lighting has been upgraded in 2006–2007 include Avon Street, Bridge Lane, Derwent Lane, St John’s Road, Bellevue Street, Talfourd Street, Cowper Street, Reuss Street and Wigram Lane. Decorative lighting of two large Moreton Bay Fig trees in Bicentennial Park will also be lit from near the path edge responding to the changing shades of twilight evening skies powered by a wind generator. Other sites set down for decorative lighting include St John’s Church, the Old Fire Station and the War Memorial.

The 2008–2009 street lighting upgrade includes Campbell Street, Denman Lane, Derby Place, Hegarty Street, Hewitt Ave, Jarocin Ave, Mt Vernon Lane, Norton Street, Purves Street and Rosebank Street. Many of these locations were identified in the community safety audit. These upgrades will involve replacement of obsolete twin fluorescent fittings with current standard energy efficient 42 watt fluorescent luminaires.

Closed Circuit Television

The City has installed two closed circuit television cameras in Glebe namely City Road viewing Victoria Park to the west, and Bay Street with a third planned for the corner of Derby Place and Glebe Point Road in December 2008.


Glebe Point Road Upgrade

The City committed $15 million for the upgrade of Glebe Point road. Improvements include traffic calming, pedestrian safety, cycle access, undergrounding of overhead cables and public art. Key installations include new smart poles, new fencing at Glebe Public School, improved access for people with disabilities, new street lights, new furniture and street trees and the restoration of Jubilee fountain. Living Colour floral exhibitions will also be installed each spring.

Glebe Local Area Traffic Management

A Local Area Traffic Management (LATM) Scheme has been developed to better manage traffic and improve safety and amenity on local roads. Priority works proposed in Glebe over the next two years include:

Extending 40km/h speed limits to all local roads

Raised pedestrian crossings at Glebe Point intersections with Wigram Road, Toxteth Road and Leichhardt Street

Shared zones with 10km/h speed limits and pedestrian priority in Sheehy Street, Strathmore Lane and a section of Wigram Lane and

Kerb extensions at some intersections in Glebe Point Road, Wentworth Park Road, St John’s Road, MacArthur Street, Wattle Street, Lodge Street and Catherine Street.

Other major projects being undertaken by the City in the Glebe area include the Orphan School Creek upgrade, a new playground, fitness circuit, pathways, returfing and upgraded lighting at Wentworth Park, new playground and historic gates relocation at Victoria Park, continued upgrading of the Glebe Foreshore walk and the restoration of Bellevue House.

Additional projects include refurbishment of Glebe Town Hall, upgrades to Jubilee Park, Franklyn Street playground, Minogue Reserve, May Pitt Reserve, Arundel Street Reserve and Sara Pennington Reserve and new playgrounds at Hilda Booler and Broughton Street child care centres. Additional landscaping works have been carried out at Sheehy Street, Woolley Street and Victoria Park. Some 400 new trees were planted in Glebe in the last year. The City is also implementing the sonic activation project at the Wireless House at Foley Park.



Through implementing the following strategies, the Plan will aim to increase the perceptions of safety as measured in the City’s annual Customer Satisfaction Survey and to reduce the number of the following offences through redesign of the built environment:

Steal from Person

Steal from Motor Vehicle

Robberies

The following strategies have been developed to ensure continued safety and security in the public domain.

Strategy Partners

Objective/

Target Area

5.1 Implement the recommendations of the Community Safety Audit and continue to commit resources and conduct audits in additional “hot spot” locations identified by the Police.

City of Sydney

Leichhardt Police

Housing N.S.W.

Energy Australia

Look and feel of environment

5.2 Implement community projects which activate and improve the appearance of public areas such as community art projects and laneway beautification projects through the community grants process.

City of Sydney

Housing NSW

Local residents and community organisations


5.3 Review the existing CPTED protocol between the City and Leichhardt Police for new and existing development applications.

City of Sydney

Leichhardt Police


5.4 Implement the recommendations of the Glebe Area Conservation study.

City of Sydney Look and feel of the environment


Objective 6 – Supporting ex-offender reintegration into the Community –

including working with the State Government and local non-Government

organisations in supporting ex-offenders successful reintegration in to

the community.

“Glebe is a warm, friendly and embracing community which is extremely tolerant of difference”.– 35 year old female resident

The City of Sydney is aware that recent research has revealed that ex-offenders are given limited support after being released from custody in NSW. This has been acknowledged by the State Government which has as one of its key objectives in the State Plan to reduce offending. The period post-release from custody has been acknowledged as the most critical time for people who have been to prison and the highest risk period for many in terms of reoffending. A report released in 2006 by the NSW Auditor General revealed that almost half the state’s prisoners return to jail or community supervision within two years at a cost of $174 per day per prisoner.

Projects which aim to break the cycle of social exclusion for ex-offenders by assisting them to successfully reintegrate into the community and workforce support a wealth of literature which shows that the more support an ex-offender is given upon release from custody the less the likelihood of reoffending.

The offender profile demonstrated in the crime profile reveals that many of the offenders committing crime in the Glebe area are recidivist or repeat offenders. A strategy aimed at supporting this section of the community has the potential to alleviate inequity, address discrimination and achieve higher levels of social inclusion and understanding.


Through implementing the following strategy the plan aims to reduce

Rates of re-offending

Strategy Partners

Objective/

Target Area

6.1 Support projects with local non-Government organisations which successful reintegration of ex-offenders into the community.

City of Sydney

Local non-Government organisations, Ultimo TAFE

Ex-offender reintegration

.


7. MONITORING AND EVALUATION

The Draft Glebe Community Safety Plan will be implemented over a three year period. To ensure that the plan is meeting key objectives and delivering outcomes, the City will:

Report to Council regularly on the outcomes of the plan, according the key performance measures identified in the plan.

Report to the Glebe community on the outcomes of the plan.

Meet regularly with key Glebe stakeholders to ensure that the strategies in the plan are being implemented.


REFERENCES

Barani Indigenous History of Sydney Website

Varman R. (2005) Archaeological Report, City of Sydney, Glebe Conservation Area Study Report

Architectural Projects Pty Ltd (2005), City of Sydney, Glebe Conservation Area Study Report

Whitlam E. G. (1985) The Whitlam Government 1972–1975, Penguin Books Australia

Australian Bureau of Statistics (2006) Census

City of Sydney (2008) Website www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au Population Forecasts

New South Wales Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (2008)

Australian Institute of Criminology (2007) Recorded Crime in Australia Facts and Figures 2007

City of Sydney (2005–2007) Community Satisfaction Survey

City of Sydney, (2007), Local Action Plan

City of Sydney (2007) Glebe Business Precinct Study, Hill PDA Consulting

City of Sydney (2004) A Survey of Community Services in Glebe and Forest Lodge, Stephens and Associates

Australian Government Attorney General’s Department (2007) National Community Crime Prevention Programme, Young People and Crime Prevention, Tip Sheet No. 7

Graycar A. (1999) Crime and Social Capital – Speech to Australian Crime Prevention Council, Melbourne

Samuels R., Judd B., O’Brien B., Barton J. (2004) Linkages between housing, policing and other interventions for crime and harassment reduction in areas with public housing concentrations, Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI)

Housing NSW (2008) Website, www.housing.nsw.gov.au

Appendix 1 – Glebe Good Neighbourhood BBQ Community Consultations

Appendix 2 – Glebe Good Neighbourhood Community Survey

Appendix 3 – Good Neighbourhood BBQ Program promoting Draft Glebe Community Safety Plan 2009–2012


APPENDIX 1 – GLEBE GOOD NEIGHBOURHOOD BBQCOMMUNITY CONSULTATIONS


APPENDIX 2 – GLEBE GOOD NEIGHBOURHOOD COMMUNITY SURVEY

The City of Sydney and its partner agencies are currently developing aCommunity Safety Plan for the Glebe area and is asking interested people to fill out this survey to provide information on improving the neighbourhood. Allanswers are strictly confidential.1) What do you believe are the great strengths of the Glebe community?

i)..........................................................................................................................ii).........................................................................................................................iii) ........................................................................................................................iv)........................................................................................................................2) What might make the Glebe community an even better place?

i)..........................................................................................................................ii).........................................................................................................................iii) ........................................................................................................................iv)........................................................................................................................3) How might your suggestions in 2) be turned in to action?

i)..........................................................................................................................ii).........................................................................................................................iii) ........................................................................................................................iv)........................................................................................................................4) Any other comments?

............................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................Respondent profile – please tick ( )Sex: Male FemaleAge: 10–15 16–20 21–25 26–30 31–35 36–40

41–45 46–50 51–55 56–60 61–65 66–70 71–75 76+

Postcode: ………….Non-English-speaking background: Yes No If yes please state:……Aboriginal – Torres Strait Islander: Yes NoPerson with a disability: Yes NoInterested in further involvement? Please provide contact details below.Name.................................................................................................................Address .............................................................................................................Phone No ................................................... Email ............................................Thank you for taking the time to provide us with this important information.

APPENDIX 3 – GOOD NEIGHBOURHOOD BBQ PROGRAM PROMOTING DRAFTGLEBE COMMUNITY SAFETY PLAN 2009–2012

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