Samantha Elley
Harper Dalton-Earls has memories of the Lismore CBD being a vibrant safe place where he could walk his dog as a daily routine.
“I used to live in the CBD, above a shop for close to 10 years and I’ve seen the area go through some changes,” he said.
“I remember the rangers doing foot patrols.”
Most recently Dalton-Earls, who is a councillor on the Lismore City Council, posted on Facebook of his concerns regarding dog poo lining the streets, someone with obvious mental distress yelling at him and the general emptiness and lack of safety of the CBD.
He also referenced a post by Mel of Mel’s Melting Moments Soy Candles who shared that she had suffered abuse in her shop.
“I’ve been in coffee shops and seen young workers getting abused,” Dalton-Earls said.
“They’re only young workers, they shouldn’t have to put up with this.
“This isn’t about demonising mental health patients but we have to be real about safety.”
After his incident while walking the dog, Dalton-Earls did some research into the Lismore City Council’s Crime Prevention Plan.
“The only Crime Prevention Plan we have was in 2011 and has never been updated,” he said.
“A Crime Prevention Plan ties into funds that can be accessed via the Attorney-General crime prevention grants.”
With funding from these grants Dalton-Earls said the council could be accessing funds for extra lighting, CCTVs, diversion programs for youth and foot rangers.
“The bottom line is Lismore is missing out on vital funding and direction because council has no accredited Crime Prevention Plan,” said Dalton-Earls.
“Foot rangers aren’t police and they can’t arrest people but they complement police and can be less intimidating and would be there more for crime prevention.”
Dalton-Earls cites an example where two people were yelling at each other from across the street, while others stopped and watched.
A retired police man approached one of the yellers and in a calm tone asked the man if that was his friend over there.
The man said it was so the ex police man suggested he walk over and chat to him.
Problem solved, according to Dalton-Earls and an example of how the rangers could be a calming influence.
At the last council meeting Dalton-Earls attempted to move an urgent motion to develop a Crime Prevention Plan and seek accreditation with the Attorney-General’s Department to be eligible for the funding to provide crime prevention upgrades.
“The mayor doesn’t see it as important and I may not be privy to what the mayor knows, especially in light of the new police recruits we have just received,” he said.
“But I will bring it up again in the September meeting.”
Dalton-Earls said there has been overwhelming support and positive feedback for the idea of foot rangers.
“Some have said it’s the police that we need,” he said.
“But arresting people should be the last resort.
“Rangers can help by interacting with people and also have mental health first aid training.”
According to Dalton-Earls, council has a responsibility to focus on crime prevention, identifying strategic areas and hotspots for criminal behaviour.
“Council has a responsibility to drive that,” said Dalton-Earls.
“Police can only do so much.
“Kyogle, Ballina and Richmond Valley all have a Crime Prevention Plan which to me is indicative of the problems we are having.”
Lismore City mayor, Steve Krieg recently released a video to provide an update of work going on in the CBD.
“There’s been a lot of talk around our CBD in the last few weeks,” he said in the video.
“But I wanted to highlight some of the things council’s been working on over the last six or eight months to bring our CBD back to a standard that we as residents all expect.”
In the video he listed roundabout fencing, new footpath furniture and bins, removing graffiti and palm fronds, upgraded bollards, lighting is working, updated tactiles and levelling out the pavers.
All a perfect complement to a Crime Prevention Plan to also make the CBD safer.
