We write as members of your electorate to seek your support in obtaining the cessation of what has been long term, on-going, anti-social gang/hoodlum activity in and around the Lexington Place shopping complex and surrounding flats and homes.
A family of three recently
bought a mixed business at Lexington Place, South Maroubra. They were robbed
and assaulted by a gang of about 10 youths on 14th April 03,
around 4 pm. During the robbery, the young robbers bashed the son of the
shop owner with a hammer that was in the shop. While the family was attempting
to detain the young robbers and waiting for the police to attend, the escaped
youths pulled the wife of the shop owner out the shop and bashed her unconscious.
The police called the ambulance and the woman was hospitalized. The shop
was temporarily closed. An 18 year and 9 month old (name held on record)
was the only youth held by the shop owner until the police arrived. On
the way to the police station in the police car, the shop owner also identified
one of youths to police who was involved in the robbery and assault. However
none of the youths were arrested and charged. Nor were Restraining Orders
issued against them after the robbery and the assault on the 14th
April.
The gang of about 10 youths
seems to challenge the law, and are accustomed to the lawlessness of Lexington
Place, Maroubra.
The abovementioned 18 year
old returned to the shop with four other youths on the same day at around
8 p.m., when the shop owner and his son returned to the shop from the police
station. The youths abused, threatened and spat on the shop owner.
On the following day, 15th
April, around 5 pm, the son of the shop owner got off the bus on the
way back from an examination at University. When he walked across the intersection
between Midway Drive and Minneapolis Crescent, Lexington Place, the (abovementioned)
same 18 year old rushed at him and smashed him over the head with a chair
which was taken from the BBQ Chicken shop in Lexington Place. Other members
of the gang of about 10 youths also followed and joined in bashing the
shop owner’s son. The father rushed to save his son, and the gang of about
10 youths bashed the father unconscious. The wife, who had come back home
from hospital only 2 hours before, saw the gang of about 10 youths kicking
and bashing the unconscious husband on the ground, and she rushed to hold
the husband’s head with her arms, and covered her husband with her own
body. The youths now kicked and bashed the wife who was on top of the husband
until a big, strong man who walked past the area stopped the assault. The
husband who had just become conscious tried to answer the questions on
the arrival of the police, but lost consciousness again. This time, all
3 of the family were hospitalized.
This is a hard working family
who has very recently bought the business, reliant upon it for their income
and for a brighter future. They also need the income to be able to keep
their son at university. They work from 7:30 AM to7:30 PM 7 days a week,
and are a gentle and honest family.
The extended attack to this
family is merely one instance on the long list of examples of on-going,
long-term, anti-social gang/hoodlum activity, in and around the Lexington
Place shopping complex and the surrounding flats and homes. Further, this
is an example of how the anti-social gangs of youths don’t care about the
law, and how the law is seemingly unable to protect us from this and other
anti-social youths.
Many of the local people
and the other shopkeepers witnessed the assault on 14th April
and were horrified. At least 3 people called police and at least one of
those people told police the names of some offenders (three other names
held on file). The Lexington Place shop owner alleges that the same
youths were involved in the two incidents. While the new shop owner does
not know the name of the offenders but has clearly identified 3 of offenders
to the police, it is submitted that many of the local people and some of
the other shop keepers clearly know the name of the youths causing trouble
in the area and involved in the assault on the mother, son and father on
the second occasion. However, again, no one was arrested or charged
and there are no Restraining Orders against these offenders. The police
failed to get all the statements from all the victims (except the statement
from the son and father on 14th April 03, which was done
without an interpreter). No statements were taken from the wife regarding
the 14th April 03 incident. Neither were any formal statements
taken from these three unfortunate family members, after the assault on
the 15th April 03 incident.) No official attended the
hospital to fully investigate the assaults or the personal damage done.
Worse still, the offenders still hang around shop, and one of the offenders
still enters the shop. The family is so horrified and worried about being
murdered after experiencing such vicious crimes, and also heard about a
murder that happened at this same shopping complex 2 years ago. This terrorized
family stays in one small bedroom during the night.
One of the offenders assaulted the wife again with a sling shot when the wife and the husband walked to the Midway Drive, Maroubra on 23 April, 2003 around 11:55 am. The traumatized woman stated in desperation, “Why was this happened? Why? This is Australia! ” A police officer and a doctor both independently said to her “You are now living in a bad area in Sydney.”But this is Premier of N.S.W.’s home area!
So many crimes have been
committed by these anti-social hoodlums, and so many crimes were reported
to the police in the past 12 months in Lexington Place and the surrounding
area. However, we believe that police can do nothing or do nothing to these
youth offenders. Here are some notes from a resident:
When the residents questioned the police “Why are there so many crimes here? Why are these youth offenders not being charged and locked up?”
Police officers answered; “You should get together with the people here and talk or write to Mr. Bob CARR and the Housing Commission. We receive the crime reports from this area every day. These kids should be removed, but we have no power to do so. You are the resident here and your kids and your family will have to live or deal with that every day otherwise.”
The resident asked: “Why don’t your police write reports and recommendations to Mr. Bob Carr and the Department of Housing about the crimes here?”
The police answered; “We did: we tried everything as best as we could. There is nothing else we can do.”
The police further said “If we take the youth offender to the court, often the judge or magistrate will say merely ‘naughty boy, don’t do again’ and then release the offender.”
The resident asked “: What about their parents? I mean what they do when their kids have committed crime?”
Police answered “most of them don’t
care, and some of them are “problem parents” anyway.”
It appears that the gang of about 10 youths is in control here. They seem to have lots of “rights” in carrying on their antisocial activities, despite the fact that many people here have suffered from the crimes they committed. Many local people are appalled at the on-going local gang activity. It is noted that the police have now recently stepped up vehicle and push bike patrols, and this is welcomed and appreciated. However whilst the gangs “move-on” when the police ask them to do so, they merely return again later. It is a fact that some crimes are committed here by individuals over the age of 18 years old, including members of the gang of about 10 youths described above. They can legally be tried and sentenced as adults in an adult court.
Where is the action do so?
Who is stopping the carrying out of justice?
It also appears, according
to observation of those in the local community, that other youths, from
other parts of Maroubra and beyond, are being attracted to the Lexington
Place region. The lawlessness which has long taken hold of the area is
an attraction to them, and it appears as a “safe haven” for them in which
to conduct their antisocial activities.
It is well known that the
NSW state government has introduced new laws to assist the police in enforcing
the law. Yet it is a fact that the crimes in this region have increased
in both their frequency and their ferocity in the past 12 months. Obviously
some offenders have been identified yet they continue to cause problems.
Is it a question of the laws still not being adequate, or do police lack
the resources, or are improved investigation techniques required to apprehend
the offenders? It is clearly apparent that someone, somewhere is not doing
their job.
It has been suggested that
the reason for the problem is that the area is a high density “problem
/ low-income area”. This is highly ironic, considering that a 500 square-metre
piece of land is worth roughly a million dollars, and a semi-two detached
bedroom house is worth more than $600,000. It remains a fact that most
hard working tax payers can’t even afford to live here! Nevertheless, these
same tax payers are funding, through the NSW Housing Commission, tenants
that are destroying the feeling of safety and the fabric of the local community
itself with their crimes.
We all know that many bad
kids come from bad parents. Why should tax payers pay for these types of
people to live here and be repaid with crimes? To live in an Eastern Suburbs
Beachside suburb such as Maroubra at tax payers expense should be considered
a privilege, not some sort of inalienable right. Those who violate all
of the norms of decent tenancy should have that privilege removed.
It is a very sad state of
affairs if it is accepted that one has to merely live with such problems.
The majority of Maroubra residents are hard working, tax paying, responsible
people, who take pride in their homes, and in the manner of which they
conduct themselves. These are the people in the area indeed who are concerned
and the same ones that are under threat, who live in fear from the minority
who will not be controlled by the authorities that have the power.
The locals of this community overwhelmingly sympathize with the family and have indicated that, regrettably, the gang activity has been going on for some time, resulting in: --
Residents have been forced to leave the area.
Further local residents have now indicated their intentions to re-locate elsewhere.
Nobody is safe to walk the streets. Mothers preventing their children visiting the shop on their own for their own safety.
People are living in constant fear and terror, especially aged and frail pensioners.
The shops have lost business, and gone out of business.
One of the shops was vacant for more than two years and couldn’t be rented out. 5 shops were sold recently and all of them purchased unwittingly by new shopowners who were not aware of the crime problem until it was too late. 4 businesses intend to sell now and 2 of these have just bought the businesses. One of the businesses was resold 3 times in two years.
Private and public properties have been damaged. Two private houses were not livable and completely lost the rent before rebuilding took place.
The
son of the abovementioned shop owner has dropped his University study as
he was so traumatized from the crimes, and the unsafe travel alone in the
area.
That this kind of thing can occur in Australia, perpetuated by ignorance or apathy, is shocking.
Maroubra has had ENOUGH. We also have to thinking
about next the generation of our society!
The question has been
also raised by some of residents here that should we get together to sue
the Housing Commission and the Government, for they have failed in their
care for the residents here, resulting in significant losses in the material,
the physiological & psychological health and the economic areas
The residents are seeking the following:
A full and successful investigation the carried out by the police that leads to:
Persons being charged and
Restraining orders being obtain against the offenders so that their mere presence again in and around the shops is sufficient for police action and future court action.
A permanent security guard of 2 or 3 on site around the clock. It is expensive but may save more bashings, robbery and murders.
Demolish the shops. Government can put some $ towards the shop owners who unwittingly purchased shops in that area. Perhaps a new shopping centre may be on Randwick Council’s agenda.
Clear our some of the youth who are the perpetrators of these bashings, verbal, racist and physical abuse, burglaries, vandalism and other crimes. These “kids” need to be locked up. If such problem youths are receiving any Government benefits, stop them now. Their parents should be ashamed. Some of these persons don’t deserve the Housing Commission homes.
Accelerate
the rate at which the Housing Commission blocks are being demolished. Some
of these people do not deserve to live in one of the greatest places of
Australia.
Until theses outcomes are
obtained, it would seem that the same type of activity will continue. We
also believe senior police should meet with the local persons and attempt
to satisfy them that actions by police will obtain the above outcomes.
Presently, residents are highly skeptical of their being able to clean
up the area.
Bob Carr; We believe that
this on-going problem in your electorate must be able to be corrected
now! It is already way out of hand.
Also attached is a list of some of the crimes being committed at Lexington Place shops and the surrounding area.
It would be
appreciated if you could advise us of the action taken into this matter
and possible action that will be taken now and to deal with any future
similar problems if they arise.
Lexington Place Action committee