Safety & Awareness

What to do if you feel unsafe in Banksia Grove... 

DURING an emergency:
  1. Emergency Services 000
  2. Police 131 444
  3. Neighbors you know and trust: - make a chain of phone numbers on your fridge.
    If the first number isn't available, call the next one until someone can come over, and just be a third party that can deflect or defuse the situation.

Banksia Grove's crime statistics are actually quite low compared with most. We provide this information to empower the residents to keep it that way.

AFTER an incident
  1. Diary. Put the date, time, and incident in a diary.
  2. Report. This is not the same as calling the police or agency about the issue and getting a phone log number.
    Make an eyewitness report, with your name to it. And have other witnesses also report it. Be prepared to testify to it in court if need be. Don't be afraid of reprisals (see "chain of phone numbers" above.) Mostly they don't occur, and even if they do, is it worse than what you will continue to get anyway? At least reporting is the beginning of an end to it.
  • Police Reporting
        - Assault and violence: 131 444
        - Antisocial Behavior includes
            Hoons,
            Grafitti 1800 44 22 55 
            Suspicious Activity around building sites, 1300 2 REWARD
        - Prohibited Behavior Order violations. Breaching one of these is a short road to court.
    When you make an eyewitness report, Police do not simply serve it on the offender, they also draw in other people and agencies to try to prevent the problem recurring. Such as parents/ guardians, Dept of Housing, Dept of Child Protection, Health, Education, local govt services. This is especially the case when juveniles are involved.
  • Misbehavior Restraining Orders
    - Eyewitness reports required.
    A MRO is an interim order that can be applied relatively quickly, and acts as a restraining order until the matter can be settled in court. Sanctions are imposed if the person breaches the MRO. MRO breaches enable police to act quickly (and makes the case worse for the offender when they do face court.)
    - State MP John Quigley's office has offered to help with MRO's pro bono; Contact them, make your statement; they can help you file your application according to the criteria needed.
  • Landlords
    They do have an obligation to their neighbors, to ensure their tenants are behaving in a civil manner. Landlords can give notice to evict unsafe tenants. Different details will apply depending on the type of tenancy agreement they have established. 
  • Dept of Housing (if applicable)
    - Eyewitness reports are required.
    DOH must comply with the current Residential Tenancies Act in dealing with difficult tenancies and associated behaviors.
        >For any action to continue under this act, there is a need for witnesses in any legal action taken.
        >Then DOH may request from their management, to begin legal action.
        >Then the matter may go to court.
        >DOH can only act within its policy and guidelines in determining the outcome of any action taken against a tenancy.
    - A Disruptive Behavior Unit has been established by the DOH, and complaints may be made on 1300 597 076. They will guide people through the reporting processes. You will need specific times, dates, places, names, etc.
    - Police Reports, Restraining Orders, and criminal prosecutions of tenants are all helpful evidence for DOH to prioritize the case. If the court signs enough restraining orders from nearby residents, a court action to evict is more likely to succeed. 
  • Property Developer
    - email: community@banksiagrove.net.au to report anti-social behavior. They may be able to use or move CCTV to the area, or direct security patrols to the area more often.
  • Local Council
    - Various local government services can help make places safer, depending on the particular issue.
        .Youth Services can engage youth in hotspot areas
        .Ranger Services can handle issues concerning dogs, animals, parking, and can monitor and film situations they attend.
        .Repair and Maintenance of council facilities, windows, roadsigns, street-lights etc.
    If you don't know where to begin, contact our local councilors.
3.  Other Steps
  • Know your neighbors.
        - Those in your immediate proximity (next door, in your street, in your units, etc.)
        - Those who are at your school, association, church, club, etc.
        Don't be a stranger, and the place becomes safer for you. 
  • Take Responsibility for your frontage, line of sight, and facilities used.
    -     I will pick up the rubbish on my frontage, watch out for the houses around me, call in broken streetlights, report violent incidents, suspicious behavior, threatening behavior. I will be on the emergency chain of phone numbers on my neighbors' fridges. If we all agree just to make our little patch right, then the whole suburb will benefit even more. 
  • Streetsmarts Self-Defence Tactics
    - We did a few simple sessions when some kids were being bullied at school. After a week or so the kids who did the training were not being bullied anymore. Email Stan who is a local Banksia Grovian too. 

Contacts

  • Police Emergency 131 444
  • Wanneroo Police 9406 2244
  • Ranger Services - 1300 138 393
  • SAFETY HOUSES local co-ordinator - 0401 486 577
  • Education Department Security - 9264 4771
  • Building site theft/damage - 1800 131 001
  • Road signs - 138138
  • Streetlights - 1800 622 008
  • Vandalism - PAV clean up the town - literally! More than a clean up service, they work to develop pride and awareness, and PAV likes to link all the approaches together. Online Reporting Form, and much more:  PAV (People Against Vandalism): 1800 44 22 55 
  • Council Maintenance & Repair - Councillor
  • North Metro Public Health Unit, in Joondalup, is looking to run a "Social Inclusion Project" in Banksia Grove. Email.
  • Child and Parent Centre is available at Neerabup Primary School for parents of kids 0-8 years of age, and can help you find and connect to services that can help you. Email.

Plus...

Strong Families

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Helping families solve difficult problems. 
Do you, or someone you know, have trouble making ends meet? Keeping up with all the pieces? In trouble? The Strong Families program contact details are as follows: 
Jamie Jackson, Coordinator STRONG families North Metropolitan District
Tel: (08) 92466126 Mobile:0429083299 Facsimile: (08) 92466112 Jamie.Jackson@strongfamilies.wa.gov.au

Dept of Child Protection
Ground Floor, Joondalup House, 8 Davidson Terrace Joondalup WA 6027
(PO Box 115, Joondalup WA 6919) Tel: 08 93013600 Fax: 08 93013601 
For after hours matters Crisis Care is available 24/7 on 08 9223 1111 (Free Call 1800 199 008). 
The Mandatory Reporting Service for reporting of sexual abuse (only applies to certain mandated positions) is 1800 000 599.