The Shoalhaven is one of the worst areas for shoplifting across the state, but soon, the region will be in a better position to combat cases of sticky fingers.
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The NSW Government has committed $75,000 in funding to make the community’s shopping precincts safer by design.
The funding will enable 20 local police, council officers and community members to receive training on crime prevention through environmental design.
“The training will demonstrate how the layout of retail spaces can be modified to discourage shoplifting, make it easier to catch thieves and reduce the community’s fear of crime,” Kiama MP Gareth Ward said.
The project is set to create a pool of experts who can conduct safety audits of shoplifting hotspots and assist in making the locations more resistant to criminal activity.
The Shoalhaven Local Government Area is ranked 30th in the state for ‘steal from retail store’ offences, with 332 incidents recorded in 2017. In 2016, the highest rates of shoplifting in the Shoalhaven were in Nowra’s CBD and Stockland Shopping Centre, Sanctuary Point, Huskisson and Berry.
The funding for council’s project to reduce shoplifting has been provided by the NSW Government’s Safer Community Compact program.
