Is it just me or has anyone else had enough of the lawless society in which we now live. It seems like we can’t walk down the street these days without putting up with bad language, drunkenness, or being confronted by people involved in an argument or fight.
I’m a little old to frequent late night bars or clubs now but I know a number of young people who are too frightened to visit these venues for fear of being assaulted and bashed. In places like Kingscliff, Murwillumbah and Coolangatta it is simply unwise to stroll the streets at night even doing a bit of window shopping.
I’m not talking about being just abused or pushed about a bit but it seems to be accepted on the streets at night that young hooligans and thugs hunt victims for the fun of it. You just have to talk to someone who works in the emergency departments of our hospitals to understand that every night of the week assault victims with serious injuries comprise a large percentage of patients requiring medical treatment. Whilst much of this unacceptable conduct is the work of gang members there are still some who cause great alarm to the public by way of their individual behaviour.
I’ve had a gutful of putting up with indecent language at bus stops and even on the buses where it is commonplace for high rates of unsociable conduct. For users of the bus stop opposite Sunnyside in Murwillumbah there is the additional problem of alcoholics and drug users and dealers plying their trade only a few metres away in the old band rotunda. Perhaps our bus drivers need more support to enable them to decline passengers who are unruly or aggressive.
New York had one of the highest street crime rates in the world until the then mayor, Rudolph Giuliani, directed his police to introduce and implement a policy of zero tolerance. Statistics show that the streets of New York are now some of the safest in the world.
Perhaps our new police commander at Tweed Heads could take a leaf out of the book of changes which has revived one of the busiest cities in the world and use his resources to clean up our towns. It’s all well and good to come to an area like ours and promise safer communities but it is another thing to deliver on those promises.
You may be aware of an absurd proposition to use the police land at Kingscliff for some new police supercentre. This is prime development land worth millions of dollars. I don’t think intelligent people will see this proposition as practical or viable. You see, it reminds me of the poorly located Tweed Heads police station which was built in the early to mid-eighties, hidden away in back streets from the public.
Let’s hope that common sense is used here to adopt another proposal recommended many years ago to locate the police headquarters at a more central location like Chinderah or Cudgen. Police themselves might like the idea of walking across the road for a swim during their break but they will be a long way from the action.
Yes, zero tolerance for street offenders, drug users and dealers. I’ve always been of the opinion that if we stop the users, then the dealers have no customers. Maybe this is a different way of looking at this issue but for mine it makes a lot of sense.
On punishment: perhaps the state governments could work more closely with the federal government with respect to detention centres and gaols. Why can’t we send our serious, long-term prisoners to a place like Christmas Island so that our suburban and country prisons could facilitate those who fall foul of the new zero tolerance laws. Cost: perhaps a law enforcement tax would be more acceptable than a carbon tax.
Ian Gordon, Condon
