The City of Sydney’s popular Oxford Street precinct will become safer for the thousands of people who visit every weekend to dine, shop and visit pubs and clubs.
Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, said a Draft Oxford Street Safety Strategy is currently under public scrutiny.
“It aims to increase public safety and amenity for those who live in, work in or visit Oxford Street,” she said.
The strategy includes social programs and physical changes including new CCTV cameras, improving street cleansing, upgraded lighting, and increased uniformed patrols by City Rangers to complement police patrols.
Up to 10,000 people visit the Oxford Street precinct every Friday and Saturday night and while crime levels across New South Wales have generally been decreasing, data from local police shows 1,930 crimes occurred in the precinct in the past financial year. More than half involved stealing or assault, with the majority of incidents occurring between 11 pm and 4 am.
“The proposed four year plan works closely with licensed premises and authorities to reduce the incidents of homophobic violence and abuse, increase safety and reduce alcohol related violence and anti social behaviour,” the Lord Mayor said. “It includes educational campaigns to encourage the reporting of homophobic violence, self defence workshops for everyone, and the extension of the ‘safe place’ program to provide a physical safe location for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) community, when actual or threatened violence occurs.
“Security staff at night clubs play a key role in safety on the street and the strategy recommends working closely with clubs and pubs to encourage a greater role for security staff to respond to crime. The strategy also commits Council to pursue safer design features in new buildings, compulsory membership of local Licensing Accords and planning controls for the management of queues outside of nightclubs.”
The draft Oxford Street Safety Strategy is currently on public exhibition at the Town Hall and online at www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au until 26 February.
For further information contact Pip Ditzell, City of Sydney’s GLBT Project Coordinator, on (02) 9246 7671.
