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Council has looked at options available for dealing with behavioural changes associated with the excessive consumption of alcohol. These changes may lead to vandalism, violence and anti social behaviour.
To assist in dealing with alcohol related problems in public areas such as parks, roads, public carparks and footpaths, Council has allocated Alcohol Prohibited Areas (APAs) and Alcohol Free Zone (AFZs).
The establishment of Alcohol Prohibited Areas and Alcohol Free Zones requires extensive public consultation to be undertaken with community members, licensed premises, NSW Police and the Anti-Discrimination Board.
Council has a number of Alcohol Prohibited Areas established in:-
Council has a number of Alcohol Free Zones established in:-
Crime prevention is about reducing and preventing crime. It involves many different strategies and activities, generally limit the opportunities for crime to occur. It also addresses social, situational, economic and equity issues that contribute to crime.
Ways of responding to rising levels of crime (and the fear of crime including increasing police numbers and powers, and imposing harsher penalties on people convicted of crimes. However responding to crime in a punitive and retributive manner has not been show to significantly reduce or prevent crime.
The current trend is a move towards community-based crime prevention that involves partnerships; with every relevant stakeholder given the opportunity to contribute and assist.
This web page has been created as a strategy to provide residents with information about community safety and crime prevention.
Protecting your home.
Information kits are available from Council’s Customer First Centre to assist you with the protection of your home. The kits titled “Protect your home from intruders” is practical and provides many useful hints. If you would like a kit but are unable to call in to pick one up please call Community Services on
6566 3222 and one will be sent out to you.
 It is very important that all crimes are reported. Correct information about how many, and what types of crimes are occurring in the community assist Police to protect residents, visitors and businesses within the Shire.
for the reporting of crimes that are not in progress, have no known offender eg malicious damage, break and enter or stealing please call Ph 131444.
for all emergency services assistance from the Police, Ambulance or Fire Brigades please call 000.
a community based policing service that gathers details of criminal activity volunteered by members of the public.
When you need to report a crime or suspicious behaviour to the Police remember:
- Try to be calm and speak clearly, take a few deep breaths if you are having difficulty speaking
- Follow the operator’s instructions
- Give you name, phone number and address
- State the problem
- Give the location and time of the incident
- Give a description of the persons and vehicles involved.
Being the victim of crime is stressful and can be overwhelming. The Police and telephone operators understand that you have suffered a shock and may have difficulty providing a report. They will be sensitive to your situation and will assist you to report the incident. Remember the Police are there to help you.
Effective policing everywhere in the world actually depends greatly on the citizens active assistance, which means we all have a responsibility to report crime.
So what can you do right now about crime in our Shire?
Call Council on 65663 200 to receive a free “Report It Don’t Ignore It” pad, or email linda.young@kempsey.nsw.gov.au to request one (remember to include address details) or call into Council’s Customer First Centre and pick one up. This pad has a checklist as a guide in recording your information with all emergency contact numbers explained.
 This program was an initiative of the Mid North Coast Crime Prevention Network.
An emergency and community contacts magnet is available at the Customer First Centre and at Kempsey Library or one can be mailed out. To enquire phone: 02 6566 3200.
The Police offer the following advice to help you make your home safer.
Doors:
Some simple inexpensive security measures for doors whether you are on holidays or not include fitting:
- A spy hole / door viewer so that you can identify callers before opening the door,
- A security chain on the door to speak to strangers prior to opening the door,
- A security screen door,
- Good Locks. Door and window security is important so install the best and most appropriate locks for your home as more than 50% of burglaries occur because windows are not secure.
Windows:
More than 50% of burglaries occur because windows are not secure.
The most common lock is a keyed lock. The majority of homes still don’t have them. Locks can be keyed alike to you only have to carry one key for all the windows in your home.
Property Inventory:
You should have a detailed inventory of all your valuable property, especially those things which are likely to be stolen. Using the principles of property marking, you should mark and record the details such as the serial number, make, model, colour size and original cost of the item. You need to engrave the initials NSW (for New South Wales Drivers License) and your driver’s license number. Once completed put the inventory somewhere safe, perhaps with your insurance policies and add new items as necessary.
Remember to list the property outside the home as well as inside.
Engraving your property:
As a proactive approach Kempsey Shire Council has engraving kits available for hire to residents of the Shire that can be arrange through Customer First Centre.
Hire times are:-
Pick up each Friday afternoon and pay a $10 deposit
The hire fee of $10 is payable at time of lodgement. A drivers licence for contact details is also required at time of lodgement
An additional fee of $10 per day is payable if the engraving kit is returned after 10.00 am.
After hours returns are available through the Kempsey Library book return shute located on Elbow Street entrance.
Council recommend that residents engrave their licence number onto the personal items as this number is easily recognisable.
Instructions of use are issued with the engraving kits.
Get to know you neighbours
Your neighbours are the best natural surveillance available to a family going away on holidays. They know who comes down your street and if you get on with your neighbours like the times from our childhood letting them know you will be away and just keeping an eye out for anything suspicious may just help protect your valuables.
If you are a neighbour who has a family next door that has gone on holidays, keep an eye out and report anything suspicious to Police immediately as it may just catch an offender in the act.
Valuables in your Car
Whether it’s a car full of Christmas Presents or having the car packed up for those journeys away ensure that the valuables that you have are placed out of sight. Don’t leave doors unlocked or car windows down to let the heat out because this may just give the opportunity for a thief to take your camera, purse or other valuable on that permanent trip.
So what ever you are doing, whether you’re at a party, at home or on holidays remember thieves don’t have holidays and keep your property and values safe this festive season so you remember it for good reasons not bad.
When we are travelling out and about you need to think personal safety so that you don’t become a victim by being robbed or having your bag snatched. So this doesn’t happen to you please note the following helpful tips.
How to prevent Robbery, Bag Snatching and Stealing.
- Be alert and aware of your surroundings in public places like railway stations, parks and shopping centres.
- Walk away if approached by someone asking for money, your mobile phone or a cigarette as this is a common contact used by potential offenders.
- Always keep your bag closed and your valuables hidden.
- Walk in well-lit areas and avoid walking alone. If you feel that you are being followed walk towards crowed areas. If you feel unsafe, call Police on 000 (of from your mobile 112.)
- Always let someone know where you are going.
- Don’t flaunt what you have (eg: mobile phone, money and other valuables.)
- Don’t carry weapons as they are illegal and may be used to hurt you.
- Don’t carry a copy of your PIN number around with you.
- Don’t leave valuables lying around.
- Don’t fight back. Your life is worth much more than your valuables.
Just as with robbery and stealing above, having your bag snatched is a crime but thieves use the element of surprise. The risk can be reduced by observing the following.
- Carry your bag close to your body preferably in front to you. Don’t dangle it by your side or let is swing from your shoulder.
- Don’t wrap the bag’s straps around your wrist.
- Always keep the bag zipped up.
- Keep cash and valuables you carry to a minimum.
- Be alert. At automatic teller machines, be aware of people around you. Put your money away as quickly as possible.
- Don’t put your bag on top of your car when you’re loading things. Or on counters or in shopping trolleys.
- Do not mark house or car keys with an address.
- When walking, stay away from the curb. Many bag snatchers will lean out of their vehicle to grab at bag straps.
- Try to remain calm.
- Get an accurate description of the person. Try to remember details of the person’s appearance to aid police investigation, eg: clothing, height, hair and eye colour and anything else that stands out. Try to remember as much as you can.
- Cancel all the stolen items such as credit cards and mobile phone connections to prevent further losses. Notify the bank immediately when cards are stolen.
- Report crime to police as soon as you can.
- Don’t be scared to report a crime – remember police are here to help you.
As a proactive approach to reducing graffiti within the Shire, Council is offering residents free graffiti kits. The impact that graffiti has on householders and businesses can be significant. In working together as a community we create the best opportunity to reduce the impact of graffiti and remove the reward for those who seek this type of notoriety.
The aim of this project is to assist local residents and businesses to be more informed about graffiti and to provide some practical assistance in removing graffiti that has occurred.
Council is now offering FREE graffiti kits to residents in the Shire and all that is required is to fill in an application form and attach a photo of the graffiti you wish to remove.
This can be done by completing the application form below (in pdf format) and submitting it to Council online; via post PO Box 3078, West Kempsey, 2440; Fax 02 65663205, or dropping it into the Customer First Centre at 22 Tozer Street, West Kempsey. Adobe Reader is required to view this file.
 Graffiti Removal Kit Application (54KB)
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