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- 27 February 2001
Sutherland Shire Law And Order
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Speakers - Kerr Mr Malcolm
Business - Private Members Statements
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Page: 11938
Mr KERR (Cronulla) [6.20 p.m.]: I wish to speak about law and order in Cronulla because it has implications for the entire Sutherland shire. I would like to read from a recent letter by a constituent of mine, who said:
I write to add my voice to what I expect are numerous complaints you would be receiving concerning the inadequacy of the Cronulla Police Station and ask your help in pursuing the Carr Government to rectify the position.
The situation at present is little more than a sign on a building—in fact I attended on one occasion when only a junior female officer was present and was obviously unable to leave the station which would become unattended. It is quite useless asserting that there is a "super" station at Miranda which could give a quick response but several events recently have proved that to be a myth. Contending that some other emergency or event arose to be given higher priority proves the deficiency in the present system and only goes to emphasise the inadequate staffing overall in that area and in particular the ridiculously low number stationed permanently in Cronulla.
It is obvious that there are organised gangs or even some smaller groups intent on causing major trouble in and around Cronulla who know they can do so in the full knowledge that by the time they have created mayhem they have ample time to disperse before there is any likelihood of a Police response coming from Miranda.
What is essential is a permanently fully staffed or equipped station at Cronulla instead of the present "Mickey Mouse" affair. This cannot hope to cope with unfavourable circumstances regularly arising in Cronulla with its increasing population and unfortunately undesirable element—some permanent, some visitors—but overall producing an explosive situation beyond the measures of the present skeleton staff at Cronulla. Equally Miranda cannot provide the necessary immediate response to these dangerous events.
That letter accurately summarises the situation at Cronulla. It is an outpost, an area where the population increases dramatically during the summer. As my correspondent has said, there is gang activity. On Thursday 15 February the Commissioner of Police was interviewed on radio by John Stanley. The transcript of that interview reads, in part:
John Stanley: And your problem is, if you sent more police to Cabramatta, they would be taken from areas like Cronulla, where we had all those calls last week about that gang problem, that I think you are aware of. These people are coming in from other parts of Sydney, into Cronulla and are causing big problems there.
Commissioner Ryan: They are causing huge problems there.
One of those huge problems occurred two days after Christmas. Following a dispute at a Sutherland nightclub, a gang of 30 Lebanese Australian males arrived at Cronulla railway station with baseball bats, iron bars, knives and guns. They open fired on a rival gang, spraying more than 20 bullets over a 50-metre area. Such behaviour and activity are totally foreign. The Premier would be aware of the writings of a former New York senator, Patrick Daniel Moynihan. Back in the 1960s he wrote an essay entitled "Defining Deviancy Down". That summarises these appalling standards of behaviour. Previously, this incident would have made headlines all over Sydney—
Mr George: Throughout New South Wales.
Mr KERR: Indeed, throughout New South Wales, but it did not because it is so commonplace. The mayor of Sutherland shire wants surveillance cameras, and there is no reason why the council cannot put surveillance cameras in the places sought by the mayor, although the problem exists throughout the Sutherland shire. The Carr Government has failed in its basic responsibility to maintain an orderly society and should therefore make a financial contribution towards the cost of the cameras. On behalf of the people of the Sutherland shire I ask the mayor to indicate when those cameras will be installed in Cronulla.
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