Partners in crime

(l-r) NRMA Insurances Barry Lewis with Lake Illawarra Area Command Superintendent Wayne Dedden and Shellharbour City Mayor Cr David Hamilton at the announcement of Shellharbour City Councils Crime Prevention Partnership winning a 2006 Australian Crime and Violence Prevention Award.

SHELLHARBOUR City Councils Crime Prevention Partnership, involving NSW Police and NRMA Insurance, has been named among the best in Australia after it won a States and Territories category award at the 2006 Australian Crime and Violence Prevention Awards.

Shellharbour Council will receives $5,000 and a Certificate of Merit for the award.

The Crime Prevention Partnership commenced in June 2003 after extensive community consultation and has initiated a range of community safety programs that have made significant inroads into the well-being of local neighbourhoods.

The Partnership operates with the guidance of a coordination team involving Council, Police from Lake Illawarra Area Command (LILAC) and NRMA Insurance.

Attending the announcement on Tuesday were Shellharbour City Mayor Cr David Hamilton, NRMA Insurance Senior Advisor Barry Lewis and Lake Illawarra Area Command (LILAC) Superintendent Wayne Dedden along with Councils Manager Community Development, Martin Millgate, officers from LILACs Crime Management Unit, police volunteers and council staff.

Mayor Hamilton said the award confirms that Councils crime prevention initiatives are leading the field.

We are thrilled that Councils approach to community safety has been recognised at a national level, but we are even more pleased that the work being done is making the City a better place to live, work and play, said Cr Hamilton.

Cr Hamilton said that the main initiatives of the project include the shared use of a Crime Prevention Van which is deployed by police to theft hotspots, community events and other locations, offering locals practical home security advice; Councils Good Neighbour Scheme designed to encourage neighbours to talk to each other and look after for each other; Operation Never Again, which provides home security audits and support to victims and high-risk potential victims of home burglary, and the BizSafe education program for pro-active security for local business owners.

Councils Manager Community Development, Martin Millgate, said the Shellharbour Crime Prevention Partnership has developed into a hugely successful tool for keeping the City as safe as it can be.

In the first year of the partnership, NRMA Insurance saw a drop of

40% in home burglary claims in four trial suburbs as well as a 19%

decrease in the number of car theft claims across the City, said Mr

Millgate.

LILAC Superintendent Wayne Dedden described one of the benefits of the program as target hardening.

We provide advice on how people can protect themselves against become a repeat victim of a break-in or theft and through NRMA Insurances involvement, the program can provide funding support to the elderly or disadvantaged for the installation of security devices, Superintendent Dedden said.

Our aim is to break the circle of crime.

For a crime to occur, there are four elements which come into play an offender, a victim, the environment and the opportunity.

If you remove any one of these four elements, you no longer have a circle of crime.

NRMA Insurances Stuart Solomon describes the Crime Prevention Van as a self-help van.

It provides a non-intimidating environment for the public to talk to the police and gain valuable information and advice on how they can help themselves from becoming a victim of a break-in or car theft, Mr Solomon said.

It seems to draw people out of their homes to come and talk to the police.

While the van is currently shared with two other Command areas Dubbo and Redfern - on a 3 month rotation schedule, Superintendent Dedden said that plans were well advanced for Shellharbour to have its own permanent van early next year.

NRMA Insurance has supported the project with close to $200,000 since its inception.

Council would certainly like to thank the Police and NRMA Insurance for their valued participation in this project, said Cr Hamilton.

The award, and more importantly the results that have been achieved, really is testament to the dedication of the three organisations working collectively, positively and successfully for the betterment of our community.