Plan to make Glebe safer

Council has approved the first Community Safety Plan for Glebe, in a bid to reduce crime in the inner-west hot spot.

“We’re very positive about the plan. We think this is a very good theoretical framework, but it’s got to be turned into reality,” said Dr Lesley Lynch, President of The Glebe Society.

The Safety Plan emerged after a Community Safety Audit was conducted in Glebe last April. It aims to reduce crime, address school retention, build community, improve the safety of public housing and the physical environment, and support ex-offenders released from prison.

According to Leichhardt Police, the most common crimes in Glebe are assault, robbery, steal from person, steal from motor vehicle and malicious damage.

Data from Leichhardt shows that from October 2007 to September 2008, Glebe was responsible for 34 per cent of all assaults in the Local Area Command, which covers Annandale, Balmain, Glebe, Leichhardt, Lilyfield and Rozelle. It also claims 47 per cent of all robberies, 61 per cent of theft from person, 50 per cent of theft from vehicles, and 38 per cent of malicious damage.

“The wonderful thing about Glebe is its diversity, and we have loads of different people living here. But that can also lend itself to social problems. We need the authorities to look at these problems, and then safety will improve from there,” said Glebe resident Jenny Watson.

The Safety Plan is governed by a sense of shared responsibility, claiming “The safest communities are not those with the most police and prisons, but those with the strongest community structures.”

More community engagement has been marked as a way to improve safety, through activities like community BBQs, particularly for youths. Other ideas include working on the built environment and making police more visible in the area.

All activities will be executed in cooperation with community groups and the NSW Police.

‘I wouldn’t say I feel unsafe in Glebe, but I wouldn’t like to see my daughter walk around at night. It could definitely be safer, but I don’t think community engagement is going to do anything. You know, what is talking going to do? We need more police and more stronger action against offenders,” said Glebe resident Paul Hanson.

by Emma Rugg