Mayor welcomes SCRAP committee
Gosford mayor Cr Chris Holstein has welcomed the formation of a Security, Council Rangers and Police (SCRAP) Committee to deal with anti-social behaviour and criminal activity across the Peninsula and Gosford CBDs.
The co-ordinated interagency committee includes Council staff and rangers, ACS Security and Pound Security employees, and Gosford Local Area Command Police.
It will meet regularly to exchange information and intelligence, discuss crime trends, community perceptions and new approaches, said Cr Holstein.
"A major focus of the SCRAP committee is to provide a managed presence and an increase in feelings of safety in these areas.
"It was recognised by members of the committee that our key shopping, business and meeting places require more than the traditional law and order approach to deal with anti-social behaviour.
"By working together, the agencies can provide a better service in the CBD," he said.
Cr Holstein said that working together not only benefited Council but the community too.
"Council rangers can better perform their job and that has good outcomes for us all," Mr Holstein said.
Chief Inspector Greg Ashurst, a duty officer from Brisbane Water Local Area Command was the police representative on the committee.
He said that the committee had implemented some "very useful" strategies.
"Some recent strategies have included regular taskings and patrols by police, off-duty police working as council rangers, special operations and use of the police dogs trained in illicit drug detection, regular patrols of council rangers and a high visible presence of security personnel," said Chief Inspector Ashurst.
"The mutual support and liaison between the agencies has been very useful in the initiatives that have been implemented in the identified problem areas," he says.
Cr Holstein said the strong partnership between the agencies was a good first step to other activities that would increase peoples sense of safety.
"We also want our CBDs to feel safe and while better co-ordination with the police and security companies helps this, we have to also look at ways to attract lots of different people into Gosford.
"Diverse and positive use of the area helps to increase its safety," Cr Holstein said.
Media release, May 2