also see below for an important NEWSFLASH!
22 June 2003
What current actions are being taken against this ongoing wave of
crime? Is it the case that the police like to act, but are being held back
by lack of support by the justice system and relevant government departments
that have some power to do something about this, such as the Dept. of Housing?
Terrorised residents have been told they can't detain offenders that commit
a crime against them. They are even told that photos of youth offenders
can’t been taken, either whilst the youths are committing or after they
have committed the crimes. Police state that if the matters do manage to
proceed to court, that this is useless and that judges often just give
a verbal reprimand with no further action. No wonder the crimes are ongoing!
Police often have some difficulty in being able to identify the offenders and obtain Restraining Orders against offenders, though these are desperately needed by the victims.
02 May Friday night:
1. Street lights smashed Minneapolis Crescent end of Lexington
Place.
2. Graffiti on the wall of the vacant shop 3-5 Lexington Place.
3. Signage lights for Payless Supermarket smashed.
4. Panel smashed and removed from the vacant shop 3-5 Minneapolis
Cres.
5. Missiles (bottles and stones) thrown at a home in Midway Drive.
6. Mural on Amenities Block in Coral Sea Park graffitied.
03 May Saturday:
Peter Debnam Shadow Minister for Police attended
Lexington Shops.
03 May Saturday night:
1. Gang of approximately 15 youths seen on Anzac Pde heading
towards Coral Sea Park approximately 10.30 PM.
2. Further damage to the Amenities Block in Coral Sea, graffiti
in the toilets/change room and more graffiti.
04 May Sunday:
Mark Skelsey Daily Telegraph Political Reporter attends Lexington Place.
04 May Sunday:
Asian Minimart foodstuffs (chocolate) stolen by youths.
05 May Monday:
Malicious damage to truck and stealing of four boxes
of goods delivering goods to the Lexington Fruit shop.
06 May Tuesday night:
7 PM Maroubra and Districts Inc (MDCC) Chamber of Commerce Meeting
held in the Ceramic Shop as the lock for the vacant shop had been vandalised.
It was attended by MDCC Members, Lexington Shop owners, local
Residents, Representatives from various Maroubra Businesses, Peter Debnam
Shadow Minister for Police, Mark Skelsey Daily Telegraph, Graeme Harrison
President for Maroubra Beach Precinct, Charles Mathews - Independent Randwick
City Council Councillor for South Ward, Superintendent Dave Owens, Youth
Liaison Officer Trent Southworth (Maroubra Police) Representatives for
the proposal to have a Boxing Gym in Lexington Place, Rotary etc. Discussion
centred on the resolution to clean up the anti-social criminal element
that have been using Lexington Place as their base and the community requests
action from those who have the power to change the current negative situation.
Apologies were received that Mr R. (Bob) J. Carr was unable to attend but
had received correspondence from various sources on this troubling matter
for the residents and shop owners.
07 May Wednesday:
Daily Telegraph Reporter and photographer attend
Lexington Place to interview those willing to talk publicly and have photos
taken.
08 May Thursday:
Peter Debnam asks the NSW Carr Govt in the Legislative
Assembly 9 questions relating to Lexington Place with a month's grace to
reply. Peter Debnam organised with Energy Australia to have the street
lights repaired.
09 May Friday:
Email from Mr Carr's Press Secretary to the Lexington
Place Committee stating a Crime Prevention Package would be announced next
week and a meeting would be arranged shortly to discuss the package.
10 May Saturday:
Threatening Graffiti on wall of 3 - 5 Lexington
Place.
During day time gaseous chemical substance sprayed
into Minimart Shop.
11 May Sunday:
More threatening graffiti on wall of vacant shop.
Friday 13th June 2003
What does it mean for Lexington Place?
The Community meets the Premiers Representative who is working on the
Crime Prevention Package for Maroubra & La Perouse.
Meeting: Maroubra Seals Sports & Community Club
Attendance:
1. Clive Small - Crime Prevention Premier's Department
2. Peter Reid - General Manager Maroubra Seals
Sports & Community Club
3. Richard Walsh - President Maroubra & Districts
Chamber of Commerce Inc.
4. Charles Mathews - Independent Councillor Randwick
City Council
Residents/Shopkeepers and Apologies -names removed-
Thirty years before (1970's) there were jobs and the Lexington shops were surrounded by a majority of working public housing tenants.
As at the year 2000 we have nearly 1,800 public housing tenancies and approximately 500 private dwellings.
Since December 2002 life has been far from peaceful down at Lexington Shopping Centre. There has been daily evidence of adult and youth antisocial activities.
On March 1st 2003 a public meeting was called to try and address the issues effecting the community demanding action and change to the present policing and justice policies.
April 2003 a family who had opened their general business store six days previous were victims of a day time shop invasion/robbery and the three (mother, father and son) were kicked, bashed and verbally abused over a two day period.
Identified local and other youth have been formally identified, but are yet to be charged two months later.
May 2003 Maroubra & Districts Chamber of Commerce Meeting in Lexington Place shop with Peter Debnam (Shadow Minister for Police) & Daily Telegraph Political Reporter Mark Skelsey also attending.
In the same month NSW Government announced the whole of the Premier's Department would work on a crime prevention package for Maroubra and La Perouse.
Today's package was a pre announcement meeting to acknowledge the community and commercial consultation prior to the Premier's announcement from Community Initiatives (CI), Lexington Pl Action Committee & the Maroubra Bch Residents Action Committee and other meetings organized by the local Police and Premier's Department.
The Crime Prevention Package will need to be passed through Cabinet who need to accept the funding budget for the project, before it is formally announced in a press release editorial.
Generally the package is tailored to the particular area and is in a series of many that have been initiated throughout the NSW state. Currently 25 crime prevention packages are running in NSW (many in country regions).
We thank the Premier and his Department for taking on board the local
issues and concerns of the Maroubra &
La Perouse (as this is also the local member's electorate).
This morning I received a call at 4.40 AM from a local resident.
Sometime late last night her husband and herself were bashed outside
their home!
The woman has notified the police that one of their security lights
was completely pulled out of the ground and youths were milling around
in her yard last week. The police attended after several follow up calls.
In the incident last night the youths terrorised the family starting
with throwing beer bottles and damaging the other security lights.
When the woman and her
husband went outside they were attacked, with the youths smashing lounge
room windows, using a bike to damage the front door (which is now unsecured).
The woman and her husband were hospitalised with injuries to the face
and body.
The woman was able to identify the 'gang' as the ones who have been
terrorising the neighbourhood and are responsible for the April 14 &
15 bashings on
another family, shop keepers in Lexington Place. So far only
two of these gang members have been charged and while the others are allowed
to roam
causing terror and damage none of us are safe!
The Premier's Crime Prevention Package (CPP) announced last Sunday 15
June 2003, if it is going to be any good at all - we need it to be in place
now! The Premier announced in May the Government would work on
the package, There was already enough intelligence and with the announcement
last week we believed, things would be looking up!
Instead another family bashing. This is a family who work hard
to pay off their mortgage. They are University educated and have
3 children. As an
Australian family what can they hope for the future for their children,
if this is the Eastern Suburbs and life is like this? Do they need
a security guard too or
is that just for Premier's and shopping centres that have to employ
guards just to give customers a safe place to shop or like the Seals a
safe place to
socialise?
The Organiser
LEXINGTON PL COMMITTEE
Another neighbour's contribution:
As I stated at the meeting at Maroubra Police station
a month or so ago, when {names omitted} and other
concerned residents, officials and victims were
present, "you need another bashing for something to be
done. you need to catch the attackers with a gun,
knife or mallet in their hands" for a positive id".
Some of my friends live close by to where this
terrorism is occurring on a regular basis.
How can you fight terrorism on a global and national
scale, if you can't control it in your own backyard.
Franky, the laws of Australia make me sick at times.
Parts of maroubra have gone to crap, and you get some
irresponsible newspaper writers saying Maroubra is
getting revitalized.
Get positive ID's on the local criminals, and lock
them up please.
It's not an easy problem to fix, but let's make it a
priority.
Fix bashings and terrorism in Sydney's suburbs, then
go after guns. Undesirable people are the problem, not
something a "buy back" gun policy will fix.
People who live in Maroubra will not be fooled into
thinking all is fine. We know very different.
A few security guards at Lexington Place would go a
long way.
The other drastic measure is to demolish the shops.
I don't enjoy having to call traditional media outlets
every time there is another serious incident at
Lexington Place. I feel it is the least I can do. I
have a conscience, and if there is something I can do,
I will, regardless of how unpopular it may make me
with some authorities, who would quick likely wish the
problem be not so out there. It's not a secret
anymore, thanks to some concerned residents that take
action when needed.
I would rather report good news in Maroubra.
Pass my regards to {names omitted, victims of the above recent crime}.
Thanks for listening.
Best Regards
Back to the hard questions, i.e., What
is being done?
Apparently not much, on the practical
side of things.
Carr released a Community
News Letter with a notice of money being committed
and a few plans for the Lexo area. But
we are yet to see this crystallise into something
tangible, and in the meantime people are
still suffering. This is the most recent email
news flash:
Gang attack Lexo yet again.
{name omitted} may have already informed you by phone.
1. {name omitted} shop,
2. {name omitted} shop,
3. {name omitted} shop,
have all been terrorised by the gang earlier today.
They enter the shops as a group and move through the shops.
The shop keeper can't be everywhere and the kids use this to their
advantage.
The police were called and stated there was not enough evidence.
A video they say is not clear enough. Sweets, chocolates and drinks
were taken.
{name omitted} one of the victims (bashed and had phone stolen in Coral
Sea Park earlier this year) who has also been to the 13/06 and 30/06 Community
Meetings was bailed up again yesterday by three of the youth gang and
was punched and strangled (hands around his neck), this was also reported
to
the police.
So that's threats to {name omitted} and {name omitted} and being targeted Tuesday
Now this is only two days after Clive Small, stated put your faith in the 'package'.
Update 24 July 2003:
"Do you know about last Friday's brothers being bashed and 'stabbed'?
They got off the bus about 10 - 11 PM on Anzac/Fitzgerald and the kids
all armed
with knives, threw beer bottles, attacked and chased them through to
Astoria Circuit. Luckily they got inside and called the police/ambulance.
No arrests
although the kids were heard making noise for 20 mins through Coral
Sea Park!!!
Both brothers in hospital with stitches, "not a pretty face" the sister
said. Police attended hospital and said when they are able, come
to the station and
make a report!! No investigation as there was no hard evidence!!"
