Watch on SA Neighbourhood Watch SA Magazine Issue 16, 2019
Neighbourhood Watch SA a safe and connected community
IN THIS ISSUE
From the State Coordinator In the last issue I explored what types of behaviours make people feel unsafe and which of these should be relevant to Neighbourhood Watch (NHW). I contrasted traditional criminal behaviours like crimes against the person (physical assaults) and those against property (house breaks, shed breaks, theft from and of vehicles, etc.) with other non-criminal behaviours like homelessness, drug and alcohol dependency, and mental health issues and asked if NHW should also be thinking about these community problems. I now want to follow up by exploring what types of community activities NHW Areas should be either directly or indirectly getting involved in to help create safe and connected communities. In this issue you will read about how Goolwa NHW is generously covering the cost of first aid training for volunteers who run the Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club’s ‘Sailability’ program which provides a range of sailing opportunities for people with disabilities. Salisbury North NHW is in the process of contributing to the purchase and placement of an adaptive swing for children with special needs.
These examples are great to help community members with a disability feel connected. The NHW Volunteers Association of SA is currently considering how it can contribute towards the cost of getting more troubled young people onto camps at the Noorla Yo-Long facility run by Blue Light on the Limestone Coast. These camps are proven to help develop leadership, communication and problem solving skills in these children and ultimately help them make positive life decisions as they grow into adults.
From the State Coordinator...................... 2 President’s report..................................... 2 Trashing the plans of would-be offenders................................................... 3 Police Dog Ruger hangs up his collar ..... 4 Testing the waters at Goolwa................... 5 Reducing the toll on our community......... 6 Nomad turns up the heat on firebugs....... 7 South Australia Police Officer of the Year nominations................................ 8
These three examples highlight how NHW groups on either an individual basis or from a more corporate level can support a wide range of community initiatives, which do not necessarily need to be specifically just about crime prevention. If it contributes to connecting communities and helps make people feel safe then NHW could and should be getting involved in these types of activities. I’m sure the children who will shortly be enjoying the swing at Salisbury North, the people sailing down at Goolwa and the youngsters soon to be participating on the Noorla Yo-Long camp will all feel safe during these activities and a little bit more connected with the community as a result.
Sergeant Phil Gurr Neighbourhood Watch SA State Coordinator South Australia Police
President’s report In the last issue of Watch on SA we featured an engaging and thought-provoking interview between Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) State Coordinator, Sergeant Phil Gurr and Nick Schumi, a young Adelaide resident who is a passionate and competent advocate for the rights and inclusion of people with disabilities. This followed an initial meeting with Disability SA, as part of the new focus by the NHW SA Board of Management (BoM) in seeking ways of attracting, accommodating and including people with disabilities in the Neighbourhood Watch SA program and activities. To this end, Sergeant Gurr has been liaising with the Crime Prevention Section in each of the four SAPOL Districts to arrange for both
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he and Nick to attend the quarterly NHW volunteers’ meetings in each District where Nick can give a talk on this subject and answer any questions raised by those present. The BoM has taken on the responsibility for coordinating and paying the costs for Nick’s specialised transport to these Adelaide-based venues. Unfortunately, Nick’s series of talks cannot extend to regional Local Service Areas at this stage due to transport considerations. Nick has already attended the quarterly meetings at Western and Eastern Districts on 22 May and 23 May respectively, where his informative talks were well received.
Phil Tavender President Neighbourhood Watch Volunteers Association of SA Inc.
Trashing the plans of would-be offenders
Photo courtesy of Figbird Designs
SAPOL’s Neighbourhood Watch SA (NHW) team at State Community Engagement Section is always happy to provide NHW bin stickers to community members, regardless of whether you are part of a NHW program.
Bin stickers are a strong visual cue to everyone that our community is connected, our residents have taken the effort to get to know each other and that we will look out for each other by reporting any suspicious behaviour, whether it be against my own property or my neighbour’s.
You will sometimes see the odd bin standing out from the crowd displaying a sticker, and sometimes they appear in mini clusters outside a house or two, but going by this picture taken recently outside a block of flats in Seacliff, the residents have clearly taken things to a new level.
To get your own NHW bin stickers contact the NHW team by emailing SAPOLNeighbourhoodwatch@police.sa.gov.au or calling 732 23298.
The strong visible presence of NHW is sure to make an opportunist thief think twice about breaking into one of the properties. NHW bin stickers directly contribute to preventing crime. They encourage community members to be the ‘eyes and ears’ of police and report any suspicious activity to South Australia Police on 131 444. This enables a police patrol to investigate the scene as soon as possible – even if it turns out to be non-criminal behaviour, police prefer this scenario than it not being reported and later receiving a report from a victim of a crime. There is also the theory that an offender’s perception of risk is influenced by seeing signs, in this case bin stickers, which encourages the reporting of suspicious behaviour. Ultimately offenders don’t want to be identified or caught, so the bin stickers send a simple and clear message to wouldbe offenders that if they are seen engaging in suspicious behaviour, there is a strong chance an attentive community member will report them.
Neighbourhood Watch SA a safe and connected community
Keep your community safe. Report suspicious behaviour to police on 131 444.
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Police Dog Ruger hangs up his collar Police Dog (PD) Ruger has been unleashed from South Australia Police’s (SAPOL) Dog Operations Unit, retiring after a stellar six-year policing career. Arguably one of the best General Purpose Police Dogs in Australia, the now seven-anda-half-year-old German Shepherd started work for SAPOL in February 2013 with his handler Senior Constable First Class (SC1C) Craig Charles. PD Ruger was trained to track suspects, conduct area, building and article searches, and also conduct arrests of fleeing suspects and armed offenders. During his career Ruger was deployed 1,022 times around the state, apprehended 158 suspects, located 103 items of property (to the value of approximately $55,000), and cleared 379 outstanding police reports. In October last year Ruger and SC1C Charles flew to Wellington, New Zealand to compete in the Australasian Police Dog Championships. Ruger brought home gold for South Australia in the four-day event, winning the individual patrol dog championship title. In not so happy times, in September 2016 Ruger contracted pneumonia and his weight dropped to 24 kilograms, with SC1C Charles told to “prepare for the worst”. But thankfully after 10 days in Adelaide Animal Hospital he made a full recovery.
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Ruger also underwent major dental surgery in 2015 and was notably compared to ‘Jaws’ from the early James Bond movies after having his canine teeth capped with titanium crowns. Ruger has had an exemplary career in detecting and preventing crime. Some career highlights include a deployment at Edinburgh where Ruger tracked a suspect for 30 minutes before finding him hiding in a creek bed. The suspect denied driving a vehicle that had been found nearby, however Ruger was able to conduct an area search finding the keys to the car hidden in a tree stump. Inside the car police allegedly located a firearm, ammunition and stolen property.
PD Ruger and SC1C Charles at the Australasian Police Dog Championships. Photos courtesy of New Zealand Police.
Ruger also assisted in finding evidence after being deployed at 4.00 am on 13 July 2017 around Tatachilla in howling wind and rain, and tracked for three kilometres finding weapons, a balaclava and torch dumped at various points along the route. Thanks to the items located by Ruger, the suspect was later arrested and charged. Ruger’s retirement plans include long walks on the beach and being the pampered house pooch to SC1C Charles and his family.
Testing the waters at Goolwa
In the last issue we heard from Nick Schumi who discussed how Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) can be more inclusive of people with disabilities. Goolwa NHW Area 272 is a prime example of how to embrace this approach and directly support people with a disability. Goolwa NHW Area 272 is currently covering the costs of the triannual first aid certification for volunteers in the Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club (GRYC) Sailability program. Held once a month from 9.00 am to 3.00 pm on a Saturday, the program encourages people with a disability to enjoy sailing under the guidance of experienced volunteer sailors. “We are proud to cover the first aid training costs for such a positive program,” said Goolwa NHW Area 272 Area Coordinator Pat Salter. “We don’t actively sell NHW to the people who are able to enjoy the sailing facilities, but we do take pride and considerable satisfaction in supporting a program which helps people with disabilities to lead full and active lives in our local community.
“However, we are always on the lookout for new NHW volunteers and are inclusive of everyone, so we strongly encourage people with a disability to come along to one of our meetings and have a voice in their community.” According to the Sailability Committee Chairperson, Ian Barker, the Sailability program offers a range of sailing opportunities including two-person 303 Access dinghies where a skilled instructor assists the person with the disability. GRYC Sailability also has a single-seat Liberty with joystick control for those with greater dexterity. “We have an electrically-operated lifting crane and sling to safely manage the process of getting people with disabilities into and out of the dinghies. Dedicated support boats are used to ensure every one returns to dry land safely,” he said. “Safety is our priority so we are strongly committed to ensuring we have a team who are able to provide first aid in the very unlikely event we need to do so. We are extremely grateful to Pat and her NHW team for their generous financial contribution to fund our first aid training.”
People with a disability or partners/carers for a person with a disability are encouraged to find out more about the Sailability program by contacting Ian at GRYC on 8555 0541 or 0411 207 446. Alternatively, further information about the program is available on the GRYC website at www.gryc.com.au Any Goolwa residents keen to dip their toes in the Goolwa NHW scene are encouraged to contact Pat on 0414 923 961 or email m_psalter@bigpond.com
‘Want to keep up-to-date with the latest NHW SA news? Sign up to receive news direct to your email Police.sa.gov.au/nhw
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Reducing the toll on our community Road crashes cause grief, suffering and loss to not only the immediate family and friends of the victims, but to the first responders and the entire community. The effects last long after the scene has been cleared and the physical wounds have healed. SAPOL recently launched the South Australia Police Road Safety Strategy 2019-20 which sets out a clear vision for preventing death and serious injury on South Australia’s roads. Complementing the National Road Safety Strategy 2011-2020 and South Australia’s Road Safety Strategy 2020, SAPOL’s new strategy aims to reduce the incidence and severity of road trauma by creating safer roads and people. It will achieve these objectives by focusing enforcement activities on the ‘Fatal Five’ offences which are the largest contributor to road trauma – drink and drug driving, speeding, distraction, seatbelts and dangerous road users. Eighty people lost their lives on South Australian roads last year, and already in 2019 more than 40 people have not found their way back home. Between 2016 and 2018, 266 lives were lost and 2,015 people suffered serious injuries as a result of crashes on South Australian roads. South Australia’s growing road toll can no longer be tolerated. SAPOL recently united with The Advertiser to launch the ‘Enough is Enough’ campaign aimed at reducing the road toll and serious injuries between now and the end of the year. The targeted media partnership aims to encourage greater community buy-in to the need for safe driving behaviours and vigilance. Officer in Charge of SAPOL’s Traffic Support Branch, Superintendent Bob Gray said the campaign’s focus is on highlighting the human cost of every serious road crash. “This includes the families and friends of those seriously injured; the emergency workers affected by trauma; and the doctors, counsellors and physical therapists, who often spend years helping to rehabilitate victims. There is also a strong focus on education,” he said. You may not realise that the risk of a casualty crash doubles with each additional 5 km/h over the speed limit in a 60 km/h zone and with each additional 10 km/h in a 110 km/h zone. A driver is also four times more likely to be involved in a crash while using a mobile phone, even if it’s hands-free. These irresponsible behaviours and their potentially fatal consequences can be prevented. “Effective enforcement is crucial – but it is only one part of a multilayered road safety program. Education also plays a vital role. The better the education the more we can help to enhance the safety of all road users,” Superintendent Gray said.
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“However, road safety is everyone’s responsibility, not just SAPOL’s. We can all play our part in reducing the senseless deaths and serious injuries on South Australian roads.” Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) is not just about being safe from crime, it’s also about being safe from other harms like road trauma, and this is where local communities can play their part in supporting SAPOL’s Road Safety Strategy. “We all need to make good driver decisions like ensuring everyone in our vehicle is wearing their seatbelt, choosing not to drink or take drugs and drive, adhering to the speed limit, and not being distracted by mobile phones,” said Neighbourhood Watch State Coordinator, Sergeant Phil Gurr. “I encourage NHW members to mention the strategy to their friends, family, work colleagues and neighbours. Such discussions will generate increased awareness which in turn may prevent further heartbreak on our roads.” The horrible reality of road trauma detracts from the NHW concept of communities feeling safe and connected. “While drivers and passengers generally do the right thing, wellintentioned people do make errors of judgement and make mistakes, hence the term ‘we are only human’,” Sergeant Gurr said. “But with an extra focus and effort, we can play our part in reducing the human toll on our communities and ensure they remain safe and connected.”
Nomad turns up the heat on firebugs As South Australians flocked to the beach to soak up the sun’s rays during a long, hot summer, South Australia Police (SAPOL) turned up the heat on firebugs to quell the persistent threat of bushfires and keep the community safe throughout summer. Operation NOMAD was once again at the forefront of SAPOL’s response to reducing the threat of arson and bushfires in South Australia during the annual Fire Danger Season. This season the operation ran from 1 September 2018 to 31 May 2019. SAPOL implemented various proactive strategies throughout the period, including the provision of highly-visible patrols in fire-prone areas, community engagement initiatives, and active monitoring of identified persons of interest. “Police maintained a highly visible presence in high-risk bushfire areas, with directed patrols watching for any breaches of fire laws. SAPOL also worked closely with other agencies in coordinated investigations to identify any fire-starting trends,” said Senior Constable First Class Andrew Skein from State Community Engagement Section (SCES).
“However, SAPOL is particularly frustrated by flare-ups from poorly monitored burn-offs and the lack of understanding around the use of power tools, such as angle grinders, that cause fires.” South Australia experienced a hotter and dryer summer this year resulting in an extension of the Fire Danger Season. In April we received a timely reminder of these conditions when the mid-north of the state experienced a 223-hectare (ha) scrub fire. Thankfully, South Australia did not experience many bushfires during the recent Fire Danger Season, with fires in the APY Lands (160,000ha), Kangaroo Island (2,000ha) and Mount Compass (108ha) being the largest recorded. Behind the scenes SAPOL coordinates the Fire Prevention Strategic Alliance Committee. The group comprises the Country Fire Service (CFS) and Metropolitan Fire Service (MFS) along with the Department for Environment and Water, Primary Producers SA, Fire and Safety – Forestry SA, Department for Education, SA Water, Local Government Association, and SA Environment Protection Authority. “The committee works collaboratively collaboratively to ensure all assist the CFS in keeping the state relatively free from bushfires,” Senior Constable First Class Skein said. This season SAPOL also enlisted the help of many service and community groups to help raise awareness within the community. Neighbourhood Watch along with Lions, Kiwanis, Rotary and the South Australia Country Women’s Association responded to requests for assistance, providing coverage across the state. “This community involvement is integral to the success of Operation NOMAD in keeping us all safe from bushfires throughout the Fire Danger Season,” Senior Constable First Class Skein said.
SCES played an integral role in the operation by coordinating SAPOL’s crime prevention strategy for reducing and identifying acts that may cause bushfires. “SCES developed a number of resources including posters, fact sheets, letters to residents and presentations,” Senior Constable First Class Skein said. “As in past years, the crime prevention strategy was to reduce and prevent suspicious, reckless and negligent behaviour that may cause bushfires. “The recurring theme from this season was non-suspicious fires that accounted for the majority of all fires (324). Some of these fires were from lightning or the overheating of electrical infrastructure during heat events.
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Events calendar
Watch on SA
The Band of the South Australia Police - Night at the Proms With guests Graduate Singers and Mark Oates. Saturday, 22 June 2019 at 7.30 pm. Adelaide Town Hall. Tickets from www.trybooking.com/BBGDS
Neighbourhood Watch SA Magazine
Enter the code NHWPROMS19 for a 15% discount on all tickets. The Band of the South Australia Police - Work experience concert Tickets are free but audience numbers are capped. Go to www.police.sa.gov.au/band for more information. Thursday, 4 July 2019 at 7.00 pm. ABC Studio 520, 85 North East Road, Collinswood.
South Australia Police Officer of the Year nominations
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
POLICE
Nominations are now open for the 2019 South Australia Police Officer of the Year award.
OFFICER
OF THE YEAR
Presented annually since 1978 by the Rotary Club of Unley, the award seeks to increase awareness of the policing role in the community and offers an opportunity for community members to recognise an outstanding and committed police officer, including those involved in Neighbourhood Watch SA. The South Australia Police Officer of the Year award is given to an individual who, in serving the community, displays high standards of professionalism; or performs significant acts of courtesy, kindness, understanding or courage; or handles a complex and difficult situation with humanity, or provides significant off-duty community volunteering.
Do you know a police officer who deserves recognition for service to the community? Here’s your chance to say thanks for a job well done!
Nominations close on Friday, 19 July 2019. To download the nomination form visit www.unley.rotaryclub.org.au/specialevents/pooty. The 2019 winner will be announced at a public ceremony held during the Royal Adelaide Show at the Adelaide Showground at 11.30 am on Friday, 6 September 2019. The recipient will be selected by the Rotary Club of Unley in consultation with the Commissioner of Police. Enquiries to Geraldine White, SAPOL’s Events and Protocol Officer, telephone 732 24372 or email geraldine.white@police.sa.gov.au.
NOMINATE NOW All submissions are welcome.
Proudly sponsored by:
For further details about the award, or to download the nomination form visit our website www.unley.rotaryclub.org.au. Submit your completed nomination form by email to pooty@rotaryclub.org.au or by post to SA Police Officer of the Year Award, Rotary Club of Unley, PO Box 18, Unley SA 5061. Nominations close Friday, 19 July 2019.
State Community Engagement Section
Got an event coming up?
Editorial content
If your Neighbourhood Watch Area is planning a large event and want it promoted in this magazine, on the Facebook page or the NHW SA website, just email or call the State Community Engagement Section.
Watch on SA magazine will accept editorial from Neighbourhood Watch volunteers. Contact the State Community Engagement Section to learn more.
SA Police Headquarters 100 Angas Street Adelaide SA 5000 GPO Box 1539 Adelaide SA 5001 Phone: 7322 3298 Email: SAPOLNeighbourhoodWatch@ police.sa.gov.au Facebook: NeighbourhoodWatchSA Website: www.police.sa.gov.au/nhw