Installing CCTV cameras and motion-sensor lights is one of the best ways for locals to protect their homes from the wave of break-ins and car thefts occurring across the Northern Rivers, a community meeting has been told.
Around 100 people gathered at the Lennox Cultural Centre last Saturday evening, a turnout that appeared to reflect the growing level of concern about youth crime in the town.
The meeting was addressed by current and former police officers, a security expert, and concerned locals, all of whom emphasised that the best way for locals to protect their homes was by installing CCTV cameras and motion-sensor lights, and by sharing information with neighbours via smartphone apps.
‘Look, you’re not going to stop the real criminals from getting into your home if they really want to,’ said Geoff Bensley, who installed security systems and other electrical services in Byron for many years.
‘But you can deter the kind of crime and theft that these young people are involved in. Putting motion-detection lights in is definitely an option, and so is CCTV.’
Mr Bensley and the others who addressed the meeting also emphasised the importance of collaborating with neighbours to share information though WhatsApp chat groups and apps such as WeWatch, which is specifically designed to boost community security.
WeWatch app
WeWatch, which informs communities whenever there has been a break-in within a certain radius, was described as a ‘more up-to-date version of Neighbourhood Watch’.
Earlier in the meeting, Detective Sergeant Michael Smith, from the Richmond Local Area Command, painted a picture of the types of young offenders who were responsible for the scores of break-ins and car thefts occurring across the region.
‘The age range is from 14 to 36, but the most common age is around 16,’ he said.
He added that some of the young offenders had intellectual challenges, such as foetal alcohol syndrome and developmental delays.
Police were facing issues prosecuting young people accused of offences because of the need to prove that the young person was aware that what they were doing was wrong.
This requirement particularly applies to children aged under 14, who were also protected from having their DNA and fingerprints taken.
Detective Sergeant Smith also painted a picture of when and how the offences were occurring.
‘Thursday night is the most common night for break and enters, and they occur most commonly between midnight and 3am,’ he said.
‘The MO is generally young offenders in small groups of about two-to-five members… They’re checking for unlocked doors and garages and for high quality, easily transportable goods and obviously for car keys.
‘They’re also on the lookout for shoes because they often take their shoes off before going into someone’s house, and then leave them behind because if they get someone’s keys, they want to get out of there pretty quickly.’
The offenders were also stealing knives and food, the meeting heard.
Whole community
A key overarching theme during the meeting was the need for the whole community to work together to address the issue, particularly those with relevant expertise.
‘Youth crime is an issue that requires action on a range of levels,’ meeting organiser, Alison Vickery said.
‘I don’t have an agenda, and I don’t know how to solve this problem, but I do know how to get community issues heard.’
She said the group was looking at developing a Northern Rivers-wide response to the issue, that included people from across the community.
‘A number of members of the community have stepped forward to help and advise us,’ she said.
‘Drawing on our resources is definitely going to be part of the solution.’
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