Crime problems lead to call for action

While a couple of petitions are circulating, calling for Shoalhaven Council to expand security camera coverage, North Nowra's Dennis Johnson has taken a different approach.

He has runs on the board when it comes to cutting crime in commercial areas.

Mr Johnson was involved in the business community at Riverwood when it was suffering from severe crime problems.

"We had three shops being caved in with bricks and stuff on a weekly basis, we had shops being held up for chickens, so as people could take the chickens and feed their kids, we had cars being set alight, we had tyres being slashed, much worse than Nowra," he said.

But the traders in the Sydney suburb banded together and, "We stopped that in four months."

He said they took simple steps including hiring a security company to have two guards with dogs patrolling the central business district at random times during the day, and every night.

There were added steps including establishing closer ties with police, and the business people establishing a telephone tree so they were always able to quickly contact each other if there were problems.

"It's all so simple," Mr Johnson said.

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But in Riverwood it cut crime in the CBD by 87 per cent in six months, and by 43 per cent in the surrounding areas.

At the same time people living in the area were writing letters to the local newspaper thanking police for giving them back their town.

It was so successful Mr Johnson was asked to set up a similar program in Hurstville and on a smaller scale in trouble spots around Bankstown.

"Part of the Riverwood experience is still being used in police training at the academy in Goulburn," Mr Johnson said.

And the cost of the added security measures was more than covered by reductions in insurance premiums the Riverwood businesses were paying, he said.

A key to the program's success was keeping trouble makers out of the CBD, Mr Johnson said.

He added that applied in Nowra, and gave a recent example of people drinking in the CBD and swearing at people walking past, until police arrived and arrested one wanted on outstanding warrants and moved the other on.

"You've got to get these people moved on, you've got to get them out of town, and it's not hard to do," Mr Johnson said.

He is keen to meet with the Shoalhaven Business Chamber to share his experiences and ideas, so it can take the lead on improving security in the town.