Police blitz Oxford St

Authorities blitzed Taylor Square and Oxford St on the weekend as Surry Hills Police raided local venues, and licensing police closed down the club formerly known as Manacle in separate operations.
This comes as NSW Police admit anti-gay crime figures don’t reflect the true nature and level of crime against the community.
Police charged eight people and issued three cautions for anti-social behaviour and drug-related offences in a sweep of venues and local streets.
It follows accusations the Surry Hills station was ignoring violence and anti-social behaviour in the popular gay and lesbian nightspot area.
Acting corporate spokesman for gay and lesbian issues Acting Superintendent Sean Hannen admitted there had been communication breakdowns, but said NSW Police were committed to following taking reports seriously and following them up.
The community has the right to receive good customer service from the force, Hannen said.
One big problem is that we don’t have data that reflects the true nature and level of crime against the GLBT communities.
The accurate identification and recording of all kinds of hate crimes are problematic for police all over the world. This is partly because victims of such crimes often don’t report them, or are not forthcoming with evidence needed to properly determine the nature of the crime.
When you add alcohol and drugs to the event, as is often the case in relation to incidents in the Surry Hills area, it is sometimes difficult for police to assess whether prejudice is a motivating factor.
SSO has been advised next month’s community forum promised by Police Minister David Campbell will be for key community leaders and key stakeholders only.
A full-time Gay and Lesbian Liaison Officer (GLLO) in Surry Hills will again be on the agenda. A date has not been set.
However, the issue of crime prevention and reduction is probably better served by high visibility policing on Friday and Saturday nights -“ the full-time GLLO role has, in the past, been a Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm position, Hannen said.
Sydney Liberal Councillor Shayne Mallard will move for an Oxford St police shopfront at Monday night’s Council meeting.
He called for the public to show its support by filling the gallery.
This comes as the gay club formerly known as Manacle was shut down on Saturday for failing to renew its public entertainment licence, which expired in February 2006.
The City of Sydney has commenced proceedings in the Land and Environment Court to close the venue down until the appropriate approvals are in place, the City wrote to Taylor Square Hotel.
A spokesman for the City said there were ongoing negotiations with the operator to fix up to 50 defects, including fire safety exits.
The Hotel’s management placed a sign up advising patrons of the closure but did not return calls before publication.
To contact the City of Sydney about the police shopfront proposal, visit www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au.