Umina businessman dreads going home

I am a business owner in the Umina CBD, as I have been for the last eight years, and would like to comment on the security of the main street of Umina.

Like most of the business owners in the main street area of Umina, I really dread going home at night.

We are always awaiting a telephone call to say that our office or shop has had its windows smashed, there has been a break-in or our premises have been graffiti-sprayed.

Not a night goes past, particularly over the weekend, where we don't await that telephone call or wait till we approach the workplace every morning.

In the last fortnight at least three shops have had their windows smashed and only last Friday night nearly all the shops on the northern side on the main street for five blocks, had graffiti added to their shopfronts.

What has been done about this?

Nothing, except that the owners are left to clean up the mess or pay for someone to undertake the work.

There is talk that the Umina CBD is going ahead in leaps and bounds, where new businesses are waiting for vacant premises to open their enterprises.

Look around: only two new businesses have been started recently.

One of those has been burgled. The other has had its window smashed.

Police have been called but due to the workload have been unable to assist.

Why beautify Umina now? Let's look at the basics: security by proper licensed, enforcement personnel.

The businesses that are here are not just shopfronts, like our "Clayton's" police station.

They are owned and run by real people trying to make something for themselves, their families and their region.

Why spend $1.2 million on unnecessary civil works when it could be put to good use helping the people would have battled crime and hard times, over the last five years or so?

Owen Burns, August 7