Clover warns rogue clubs to shape up

Lord Mayor Clover Moore has answered SSO columnist Maxi Shield’s call to witness first-hand the nightly anti-social behaviour on Oxford Street while flagging a reduction in operating hours for troublesome clubs.
Moore also extended the invitation to new Police Minister David Campbell and claimed Surry Hills Command was “very slow” to deal with the safety issue.
“Safety is primarily a police issue. It’s very important the minister understands how serious these concerns are,” Moore said.
“When you’ve got 10,000 people on Oxford Street on a Friday night and you’ve got a lot of drinking, it’s a recipe for violence.”
Although not a “core responsibility” of local government, Moore said the City had worked with stakeholders to develop an Oxford Street safety strategy including CCTV cameras and better lighting.
“The only disappointing aspect is that the police haven’t got actively engaged and we really need to get that,” Moore said. “An important part of the strategy was that the police do joint patrols with our rangers, and they haven’t had the resources to do that.”
Surry Hills local area command crime manager Inspector David Egan-Lee disputed Moore’s suggestions as factually flawed, saying escort officers were available with proper notification, but he had not seen a request in recent months.
“The supply of escorting police officers for city rangers while they undertake parking patrols or alcohol-free zone monitoring is but one small part of that strategy,” Egan-Lee said.
“Surry Hills LAC has worked and will continue to work closely with Sydney Council and its partners on the various aspects outlined within the strategy. The strategy can be implemented at any time by council, and Surry Hills LAC will provide the policing response wherever possible to assist in the facets we have been aligned to.”
Moore said the “frightening” change in behaviour on the strip was linked to the change of venues and patrons, but the City was working to address the concerns of the gay and lesbian community.
“We’re proposing to look at venues carefully in terms of how long they’re allowed to trade,” she said. “If you’ve got behaviour that can be controlled and good management, they get longer trading hours. If they’re irresponsible and unable to manage their clientele, they wouldn’t.”
Offering incentives for smaller venues was also being considered, Moore said.
Shield praised the safety strategy and Moore’s agreement to join the Oxford Street walk, but said the problems would not be fixed overnight.
“The queues outside the straight clubs play a huge role in the problem. Cat calls and comments like ‘what the fuck are you?’ are common,” she said. “The saving grace of Oxford Street is the bouncers at the gay and lesbian venues.”
Vote: Are increased police patrols of Oxford St enough to improve safety? Visit www.ssonet.com.au.