❓ The Minister for Police details initiatives to address antisocial behaviour in Northbridge, including increased police presence, the Protected Entertainment Precinct (PEP) law, and a trial closure of James Street to create a pedestrian-friendly zone with entertainment and enhanced security.
AnsweredQoN 673Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOUR — JAMES STREET CLOSURE
673. Mr S.A. MILLMAN to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to tackling violent and antisocial behaviour in
popular nightspots, including in the proposed protected entertainment
precincts. Can the minister update the house on the other initiatives that will
be trialled in Northbridge to assist police in making our streets safer?
673. Mr S.A. MILLMAN to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to tackling violent and antisocial behaviour in
popular nightspots, including in the proposed protected entertainment
precincts. Can the minister update the house on the other initiatives that will
be trialled in Northbridge to assist police in making our streets safer?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for his question
and acknowledge up-front that with his well-deserved reputation as a good dancer and a bit of a party animal, he is far more
qualified to gauge the success of the initiative I am about to talk about!
As everyone knows, this government
has done more than any other to address concerns around antisocial behaviour particularly in Northbridge but also in other
entertainment precincts. We have rolled out 950 additional police officers over a four-year period who have gone all
over the state, but particularly to the Perth district. There are now 175 more officers in the Perth district on the streets of Northbridge on a Friday and
Saturday night in particular than there were before we started that program.
In addition to the PEP law that will
pass through this place shortly under the leadership of the Minister for Racing and Gaming, we are taking an additional
measure that was requested by the Western Australia Police Force — that is, the closure on Friday and Saturday nights
of James Street between William and Lake Streets. It will effectively create a pedestrian-friendly location right in the
heart of our premier entertainment precinct. It will start from this Friday—tomorrow—in
the early evening. The street will close at 4.00 pm on Friday until 5.00 am the
next day and thereafter for a month on Friday and Saturday nights from 5.00 pm
until 5.00 am the following morning. With the full endorsement and support of
the City of Perth—I would like to place on the record my thanks to
Mayor Basil Zempilas and the City of Perth for their engagement and collaboration
on this measure—it will create a family-friendly atmosphere in the
early part of the evening. A $100 000 grant has been given to the city to
activate the space. There will be entertainment and free alfresco dining for
businesses along the street. They will be able to set up their tables and
chairs further out onto the pavement at no cost and there will be no traffic
between William and Lake Streets, other than
mounted police officers on horseback and officers on bicycles who will be elevated
and able to dominate the area and provide more efficient and faster policing
and a safer environment for everybody.
In the later part of the evening,
this measure will ensure that people are not crowded together on footpaths
outside venues and bumping into each other, as is often done by male members of
the public, who are full of testosterone and bad manners, and that can result
in bad outcomes. They will be spread out and less likely to be involved in unnecessary conflict. That is a good thing. The
City of Perth will be funding security guards at taxi ranks and rideshare ranks nearby so that people will be safe when they leave the secure area to get
their ride. Access will be provided for food delivery vehicles so that the
small businesses inside the zone will not be impacted negatively.
This is a good initiative. It is
another effort on top of having more police officers than ever before doing
very visible policing, and the PEP law, which will shortly pass through both
houses of Parliament, I hope, and provide additional powers to police. It is
another measure. We will test it and assess it over the four weeks to determine whether road closures provide improved
holistic community safety in the entertainment precinct. We will determine whether there is a reduction in aggressive violence, reported assaults,
robberies and antisocial behaviour, and the effectiveness of police and other
emergency services having access. At the end of it, we will know whether it is
a good thing to continue.
and acknowledge up-front that with his well-deserved reputation as a good dancer and a bit of a party animal, he is far more
qualified to gauge the success of the initiative I am about to talk about!
As everyone knows, this government
has done more than any other to address concerns around antisocial behaviour particularly in Northbridge but also in other
entertainment precincts. We have rolled out 950 additional police officers over a four-year period who have gone all
over the state, but particularly to the Perth district. There are now 175 more officers in the Perth district on the streets of Northbridge on a Friday and
Saturday night in particular than there were before we started that program.
In addition to the PEP law that will
pass through this place shortly under the leadership of the Minister for Racing and Gaming, we are taking an additional
measure that was requested by the Western Australia Police Force — that is, the closure on Friday and Saturday nights
of James Street between William and Lake Streets. It will effectively create a pedestrian-friendly location right in the
heart of our premier entertainment precinct. It will start from this Friday—tomorrow—in
the early evening. The street will close at 4.00 pm on Friday until 5.00 am the
next day and thereafter for a month on Friday and Saturday nights from 5.00 pm
until 5.00 am the following morning. With the full endorsement and support of
the City of Perth—I would like to place on the record my thanks to
Mayor Basil Zempilas and the City of Perth for their engagement and collaboration
on this measure—it will create a family-friendly atmosphere in the
early part of the evening. A $100 000 grant has been given to the city to
activate the space. There will be entertainment and free alfresco dining for
businesses along the street. They will be able to set up their tables and
chairs further out onto the pavement at no cost and there will be no traffic
between William and Lake Streets, other than
mounted police officers on horseback and officers on bicycles who will be elevated
and able to dominate the area and provide more efficient and faster policing
and a safer environment for everybody.
In the later part of the evening,
this measure will ensure that people are not crowded together on footpaths
outside venues and bumping into each other, as is often done by male members of
the public, who are full of testosterone and bad manners, and that can result
in bad outcomes. They will be spread out and less likely to be involved in unnecessary conflict. That is a good thing. The
City of Perth will be funding security guards at taxi ranks and rideshare ranks nearby so that people will be safe when they leave the secure area to get
their ride. Access will be provided for food delivery vehicles so that the
small businesses inside the zone will not be impacted negatively.
This is a good initiative. It is
another effort on top of having more police officers than ever before doing
very visible policing, and the PEP law, which will shortly pass through both
houses of Parliament, I hope, and provide additional powers to police. It is
another measure. We will test it and assess it over the four weeks to determine whether road closures provide improved
holistic community safety in the entertainment precinct. We will determine whether there is a reduction in aggressive violence, reported assaults,
robberies and antisocial behaviour, and the effectiveness of police and other
emergency services having access. At the end of it, we will know whether it is
a good thing to continue.
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