Watch on SA Neighbourhood Watch SA Magazine Issue 11 Summer 2018
2018 ─ The year of the dog
Neighbourhood Watch SA a safe and connected community
IN THIS ISSUE
From the State Coordinator Welcome to Watch on SA for Summer 2018 and happy New Year to you all. This is my first editorial in the role as the acting Neighbourhood Watch State Coordinator and I am very much looking forward to working with you to promote the Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) program throughout South Australia. The end of 2017 saw the departure of two of the NHW SAPOL staff members – Sergeant Susan O’Connor and the Online Coordinator Daniel Schmidt. Sergeant O’Connor was recently promoted to the position of Senior Sergeant in Charge of the Road Safety Section and Daniel Schmidt has taken up a position external to SAPOL. I would like to acknowledge their great work for NHW and the significant contribution they made in driving the reinvigoration process. At the November 2017 Annual General Meeting, the NHW website was launched and introduced to attendees. Please take the time to explore the website at www.police.sa.gov.au/nhw and also follow the NHW Facebook page at www.facebook. com/NeighbourhoodWatchSA. Through the use of social media networks, NHW will be able to engage with the community to deliver crime prevention programs and safety advice.
The Watch on SA magazine is designed to showcase the activities of Watch volunteers and provide practical safety advice and information. It is designed to inform you about policing activities that you may not ordinarily hear about and it is a great opportunity for volunteers to share what they have been doing in their community. Please take the time to read the magazine and share the magazine with your family, friends and neighbours. NHW is about connecting the community which in turn promotes a safe and connected community.
From the State Coordinator...................... 2 President’s report..................................... 2 State Community Engagement Section...................................................... 3 Beach safety tips...................................... 3 NHW AGM and Awards Ceremony.......... 4 The big reveal........................................... 7 NHW and Encounter Youth...................... 7 NHW is live and social.............................. 8 Operational tactics add up to reduce crime....................................................... 10 Events calendar...................................... 12 Upcoming youth events.......................... 12
I hope that you enjoy this edition of Watch on SA and I look forward to working with you throughout 2018.
Senior Sergeant First Class Neil Hodgson Neighbourhood Watch SA State Coordinator South Australia Police
President’s report Welcome! Welcome to the New Year! Welcome to the new era in Neighbourhood Watch SA! Welcome to Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) without Dennis at the helm!
Dennis Obst has been at the helm as President for seven years – he will be sorely missed! However, most of the familiar faces are still on the Board, but now with me as President.
The New Year has come and gone and most things have now returned to their normal routine. I sincerely hope you had a safe and happy holiday break.
I hope and expect we will, again with the support of SAPOL officers, continue in the same manner taking the Neighbourhood Watch SA movement yet further forward in helping to build a ‘safe and connected community’.
Neighbourhood Watch SA started its new era with the launch of the new-look, dedicated NHW website at the NHW VASA Annual General Meeting in November last year. It is accessed via the SAPOL website and continues in the vein of our digital presence, complementing our popular NHW Facebook page.
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Phil Tavender President Neighbourhood Watch Volunteers Association of SA Inc.
State Community Engagement Section It would be remiss of me not to recognise and thank the State Government for its vision and direct financial support for the Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) reinvigoration project. Their financial support has enabled us to have confidence in the future of this great program. We know that we live in a time of rapid change – a time when people are time poor and a time where there is so much competition for the attention and support of those within our community. Notwithstanding that, we know NHW is the most successful crime prevention program in South Australia. NHW has also found itself needing to prove its worth, to fight for the attention of those who claim they don’t have time and to rally against those who would question its relevance. The underlying challenge for NHW into the future is to clarify its relevance for communities as well as to maintain the enthusiasm of those who know its worth.
Many of the initiatives you may have heard about are focused on that. The enhanced and updated website, together with the other online communication channels provide the touch points which are considered as mandatory for community and individual engagement both now and into the future. We have recently welcomed some new ambassadors who have agreed to use their positions within the community to further promote NHW. I hope that with their support we can make NHW relevant to demographics not considered the traditional membership group of the past.
Chief Inspector Alex Zimmermann Officer in Charge State Community Engagement Section South Australia Police
Another new initiative is our NHW mascot Watcher Jeff, which you can read more about on page 7. Watcher Jeff will enable NHW to engage with young people and their families in an innovative way. We hope that we can begin to instil in young people what it means to ‘look after your neighbour’ and eventually make it natural for them to become advocates of the program.
Beach safety tips With the hot weather upon us we would like to remind the community to stay safe when using our beautiful beaches. Here are some tips: ● Be aware of water safety issues at the beach, including rips and currents, maritime safety and dangers of marine life. ● When at the beach, always swim between the red and yellow flags. ● Supervise your children at all times. ● Never leave valuable items unattended or under a beach towel. Use a watertight container or leave your items in a secure location. ● Be aware of alcohol consumption when swimming. Alcohol impairs your judgement. ● It is an offence to possess and drink alcohol on many beaches. Check www.cbs.sa.gov.au for a list of dry areas in South Australia. If you see any antisocial or suspicious behaviour please call police on 131 444. Further crime prevention and safety tips can be downloaded at www.police.sa.gov.au
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NHW AGM and Awards Ceremony 2017 The scene was set, the buzz was high and the anticipation for a huge morning of excitement was upon us on 11 November 2017 for the Neighbourhood Watch Volunteers Association South Australia Inc. Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Awards Ceremony. This was one AGM not to be missed as the significance of the announcements was unprecedented. It was the day that all of the hard work towards the reinvigoration project was going to be showcased. Around 90 people gathered at the Education Development Centre at Hindmarsh for this special event held on Remembrance Day. Cadets from the Australian Air Force Cadets 605 Squadron Lonsdale attended and handed out poppies to all guests. Befitting the significance of the occasion, the Clarinet Quartet from the Band of the South Australia Police provided light entertainment before the meeting, followed by a minute’s silence, with the Band’s bugler completing the tribute with a stirring rendition of The Last Post. Official proceedings commenced with an address from the Minister for Police, The Hon Chris Picton MP, who recounted his fond memories and experience with Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) as a youth. He further commended our NHW volunteers for their dedication and hard work.
Chief Inspector Alex Zimmermann addressed the group as the new Officer in Charge of SAPOL’s State Community Engagement Section. Outgoing President Dennis Obst spoke as president for the final time in that role, his speech both encouraging and meaningful to the positive and progressive direction NHW is taking. Senior Sergeant Susan O’Connor presented a report and updated the group on the reinvigoration program. She also announced the exciting news of the new canine mascot. Prior to the big reveal, the yet to be named mascot was kept hidden from the guests before the gorgeous German Shepherd pup made a grand entrance capturing the attention of everyone in the room. It certainly had the wow factor we were hoping for. Guests then eagerly accepted the opportunity to have their photo taken with our mascot. It was during this reveal that we launched a Facebook competition to name the new mascot. The competition was open to schoolaged children who could submit their suggested names on the NHW Facebook page to not only have the chance to name the mascot, but also have our beloved pup visit their school. You can read more about the competition on page 7.
Daniel Schmidt also addressed the group and had the pleasure of launching the brand new Neighbourhood Watch SA website. He discussed the background of the website project and then demonstrated some of its great features and functionality. The new website was positively received by those in attendance. The website was an integral part of the reinvigoration project, launching NHW to the forefront of modern life and enabling NHW to better communicate with a wider demographic. The new website is now the go-to place for anything NHW related, both at a local level and state-wide. It will assist in keeping NHW relevant across all age groups, and make it much easier for newly interested parties to see what we can offer. Everything is online these days and now we are too! You can read more about NHW online on page 8. Visit www.police.sa.gov.au/nhw to see it for yourself. Special guest Nigel Knowles from Encounter Youth also attended the AGM to announce the group’s new and exciting partnership with Neighbourhood Watch SA and how this will assist in the engagement of school-aged youth to care for their communities. Given the success of the Encounter Youth program in the last few years and the thousands of students they have presented to, this is a great opportunity to reach out to the younger demographic, which historically NHW has not managed to capture the attention of (see page7 for more). Another exciting announcement was the naming of the Neighbourhood Watch SA Ambassadors – Jodie Oddy from Mix 102.3 and Channel 10 and Mark Soderstrom from Mix 102.3 and Channel 7. The popular, well-known media identities will provide NHW with valuable media coverage and increase our relevance across a broad demographic.
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NHW AGM and Awards Ceremony 2017 The following awards were presented to Neighbourhood Watch volunteers and police officers for their service to Neighbourhood Watch: Neighbourhood Watch Volunteer LSA State Award: Kelvin Watson Neighbourhood Watch Police LSA State Award: Patina Pearson President’s Award: Peter McMahon Neighbourhood Watch Volunteer Local Service Area Award: Tricia Bryant-Smith Rhonda Cooney Kelvin Watson Ramsay Hewett Peter Shiell Eric Lavender Cliff Woithe Raelene Williams Tony Lucas Cristina Mary Allen Trudi Haynes
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Neighbourhood Watch Police Local Service Area Awards: Detective Brevet Sergeant Benjamin Everett Detective Brevet Sergeant Alison Klingberg Sergeant Kathryn Norris Senior Constable Bronwyn Knofel Senior Constable First Class Colin Woollett Senior Constable Graham Shone Detective Sergeant Stewart Green Senior Constable Jane Pink Sergeant Andrew Stott Senior Constable Patina Pearson Congratulations to all of the award recipients. It was lovely to see so many volunteers and their families at the event. Our thanks to the Band of the South Australia Police and cadets from the Australian Air Force Cadets 605 Squadron for their involvement in highlighting the solemnity of the day. Special thank you to SAPOL Cadet Courses 20, 26 and 27 for attending on the day to learn more about Neighbourhood Watch within the community.
The big reveal There has been much anticipation of not only the final reveal of the new Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) mascot, but also of the announcement of the pooch’s name. After receiving more than 4,500 comments on Facebook and reaching 240,831 people, the Board was presented with a list of almost 300 names that were suggested by the public. With the enormous responsibility of naming the new baby of NHW, the board came to a decision. Once contact was made with the winner and all terms and conditions were checked, the big announcement was made.
Watcher Jeff has gained much attention already, making an appearance in the SAPOL Christmas video ‘Christmas Actually’ that can be viewed at www.facebook.com/ sapolicenews/videos/1595094367234566 as well as leading the 2017 People’s Choice Credit Union Christmas Pageant. Watcher Jeff was also a crucial element at the Lightsview Ride Like Crazy 2018, encouraging the riders as they commenced their ride up the South Eastern Freeway.
Drum roll please……our beloved mascot will forever be known as Watcher Jeff. Watcher Jeff is now available for events so if your group has an event coming up and you want to book the suit, please contact the State Community Engagement Section or your Local Service Area Crime Prevention Section. There are some standard operating procedures that come with the suit, but upon collection this will be run through with whoever wishes to use it.
NHW and Encounter Youth working together for the next generation of Watchers Neighbourhood Watch SA believes that young people bring a lot of benefit to community safety involvement and is proud to be the SA Principal Partner of the Encounter Youth Party Safe Education™ program. The program consists of Encounter Youth staff presenting to high school students all over the state, covering topics such as personal safety, how to party safely, and how these young adults can positively contribute to their community. This is an amazing opportunity to reach a younger audience and remind young people that one voice can make a difference in their local area. Together, we help instil social responsibility in young people and encourage them to join their local Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) group to play their role in building a safe and connected neighbourhood.
To really kick off this exciting partnership, NHW co-branded a photo booth at the 2017 Schoolies Festival at Victor Harbor where 5,000 school leavers attended. Members from the State Community Engagement Section engaged with the young people, handing out our famous slap bands while discussing party safe messaging and NHW. From these contacts, a number of the attendees have followed up by reaching out to NHW through our Facebook page to make further enquiries about joining their local group. What a fantastic outcome, and this is just the beginning.
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NHW is live and social
www.police.sa.gov.au/nhw
To complement the new Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) mascot, the other flagship development for the NHW reinvigoration project has been the major revamp of the NHW website. One of the key drivers was to improve the online experience for visitors and attract new users to the site to broaden NHW’s reach.
Based on input from internal and external stakeholders and the general public, the new NHW site, www.police.sa.gov.au/nhw, also allows people to find their local group via suburb or postcode, see what NHW events are on and enables visitors to sign up to receive NHW news, including this magazine, directly to their devices.
“As we all know, most people now use their mobile devices to access information on the go. Making sure it was a mobile-friendly design means that we have now opened up a whole new audience who can tap into NHW news and information how and when they want it, particularly younger people,” Chief Inspector Alex Zimmermann said. “By housing it on the South Australia Police (SAPOL) website it not only highlights NHW’s partnership with SAPOL but also provides exposure to another new audience - the 60-80,000 people that visit the SAPOL site each week.”
FACEBOOK ADVERTISMENT
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SAPOL has also run a modest advertising campaign on social media to increase awareness of NHW, promote safety tips and drive traffic to the NHW website. NHW’s recent digital investment and uptake has already achieved great results for the program.
FACEBOOK ADVERTISMENT www.police.sa.gov.au/nhw
“More than 300,000 people have seen the advertising, the new website has had over 16,000 visitors since its launch in November, our NHW Facebook page has grown to over 2,000 followers in 12 months, and in January alone 27,088 people engaged with us via our Facebook posts,” Chief Inspector Zimmermann said.
FACEBOOK STATISTICS
Importantly, several groups have been launched by those under the age of 50, signalling an early change in NHW demographics. To ensure these visitors keep coming back to the NHW site we need to make sure the content is interesting, useful and up-to-date. “Any site is only as good as the content on there so we need our NHW volunteers to send State Community Engagement Section (SCES) information on upcoming events, group details and news items,” said Chief Inspector Zimmermann. If your NHW group has any events coming up please contact SCES on 7322 3298 or email DLSAPOLNeighbourhoodWatch@police. sa.gov.au so that we can add this information to our website and/or Facebook.
FACEBOOK ADVERTISMENT
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Operational tactics add up to reduce crime A major police operation to curb break-ins across South Australia has resulted in an 11 per cent reduction in reports of serious criminal trespass (SCT) offences in metropolitan areas and a 19.4 per cent reduction in regional areas.
The overall reduction in crime had been driven by several key policing strategies, including the apprehension of 1,631 offenders state-wide for SCT, or related offences such as going equipped, unlawfully being on premises or theft by receiving.
Also of significance was work undertaken to disrupt the ability of offenders to dispose of stolen property, which in turn has provided an opportunity for police to provide advice to second-hand dealers and pawnbrokers about their obligations under their relevant Act.
Operation Subtract ran for the entire 2017 calendar year, with police targeting recidivist offenders, ensuring second-hand dealers comply with their legal requirements, monitoring online sales, and providing the public with crime prevention information in addition to investigating reported offences.
“A major focus was targeting recidivist offenders who account for a disproportionate number of SCT offences in the metropolitan area,” AC Dickson said.
“There have been at least 13 expiation notices issued to second-hand dealers which generally revolve around record keeping,” AC Dickson said.
“In 2016 there were 84 individuals apprehended on two or more occasions for SCT offences, while in 2017 there were 119 – a substantial increase.
“Police have also recovered, and in many cases returned, property worth hundreds of thousands of dollars as a result of this operation.
Assistant Commissioner (AC), Metropolitan Operations Service, Paul Dickson attributed the operation’s success to the multi-faceted policing approach to target offenders, educate the community and co-ordinate intelligence across the state. “Operation Subtract resulted in a significant reduction in break-ins, while identifying offenders, disrupting the on-sale opportunities for those in possession of stolen goods and recovering significant amounts of property,” he said. “We understand the impact a break-in can have for anyone, both of a home or a business property, so we will continue to work hard in this area.” Non-residential SCTs in the metropolitan region made up about 45 per cent of all reports on average over 2016 and 2017, meaning that a large part of all SCT offending involves places likes businesses, rather than people’s homes. However, analysis has shown that there was a decrease in both residential SCT reports (down 13.17 per cent from 7,032 to 6,106) and nonresidential break-ins (6.36 per cent fall – from 3,147 to 2,947).
“In 2017 one individual was apprehended on eight separate occasions for SCT offences, while another was apprehended seven times.” The establishment of Volume Crime Teams in each of the six metropolitan Local Service Areas (LSAs) has been crucial to the reduction in crime, with the teams creating a greater sense of accountability for investigations into volume crime. “There are now three Volume Crime Teams in each metropolitan LSA. Each team comprises a sergeant and eight or nine uniformed CIB members, and is responsible for all investigations into volume crime incidents within their LSA,” AC Dickson said.
“We expect that while this formal operation has concluded, it will continue to have far-reaching positive consequences for the community.” Police ask that residents remain vigilant regarding any suspicious vehicles, people or activity in their neighbourhood and immediately contact police on 131 444 if they notice anything. Anyone with information about recent serious criminal trespass offences is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or report online at crimestopperssa.com.au Information about crime prevention and security is available on the SAPOL website: www.police.sa.gov.au/your-safety/crimeprevention-and-security
“SAPOL will continue to focus on both preventing and investigating break-ins, with our emphasis on reducing the trauma for the community that is created by the invasion of your home or business,” AC Dickson said.
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Events calendar If you have any events or meetings that you would like advertised on our Facebook page, website or in the magazine please send it through to DLSAPOLNeighbourhoodWatch@police.sa.gov.au or call us on 7322 3298.
Watch on SA Neighbourhood Watch SA Magazine
Next issue: Autumn 2018
Upcoming youth events Do you know any youth who would like to be involved in a fun activity run by local police and police volunteers? Below are some of the activities planned for this year. For more information please visit www.bluelightsa.com.au/events 16 March
Two Wells Blue Light Disco
23 March
Barossa Blue Light Disco
23 March
Adelaide Hills Blue Light Strathalbyn Pool Party
6 April
Gawler Blue Light ‘Underage Age Rage’ Disco
22 April
Murray Bridge Ten Pin Bowling
1 June
Gawler Blue Light ‘Underage Age Rage’ Disco
8 June
Two Wells Blue Light Disco
15 June
Barossa Blue Light Disco
13 July
NAIDOC Murray Bridge Disco
The theme for SAYW 2018 is ‘Your Future – Your Way’. This theme highlights young people’s role in shaping their lives and, in doing so shaping directions for South Australia. It emphasises the value of young people’s ideas, skills and resilience in local communities, and champions the benefits that their wide variety of unique backgrounds, interests, identities and perspectives can bring to us all.
SA Youth Week (SAYW) will be held from 13-22 April 2018. It is the largest annual event on the South Australian youth calendar. SAYW showcases young people’s talents, contributions and achievements; promotes a positive image of young people; acknowledges the common interests of young people, as well as their diverse backgrounds and circumstances; and enables young people to express their ideas. Although the name has changed from National Youth Week, the benefits and opportunities to highlight young people’s talents, contributions and achievements remain the same.
Got an event coming up?
Editorial content
If your Neighbourhood Watch Area is planing 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.
State Community Engagement Section SA Police Headquarters 100 Angas Street Adelaide SA 5000 GPO Box 1539 Adelaide SA 5001 Phone: 7322 3298 Email: DLSAPOLNeighbourhoodWatch@ police.sa.gov.au Facebook: NeighbourhoodWatchSA Website: www.police.sa.gov.au/nhw