Community Safety

Tamworth Regional Council is committed to providing a safe community for all. Feeling safe and secure from harm is a crucial part of any healthy community and it is vital that the whole community work together to address common safety concerns.

Community safety is something everyone can get involved in. Through creating community partnerships with Council, residents, businesses, government agencies and police, everyone can work together to share the responsibility for crime prevention.

Crime Prevention Planning

The aim of crime prevention is to make crime harder to commit and to reduce criminal behaviour by changing the social conditions which lead to such behaviour. Tamworth Regional Council is committed to crime prevention and has established the Tamworth Regional Council Crime Prevention Working Group to oversee and develop various measures to make our community safe.

Tamworth Regional Council Crime Prevention Working Group

Aim of the Working Group

The broad aim of the Tamworth Regional Crime Prevention Working Group is to provide advice to the Council on key strategic priorities or issues in relation to crime prevention and to oversee the implementation of the Tamworth Regional Crime Prevention Plan 2013 - 2016. The Plan was approved by Council at the meeting of 23 April 2013 after an exhibition period from 13 March 2013 to 9 April 2013. The Tamworth Regional Crime Prevention Plan 2013 – 2016 was developed using a template from the NSW Department Attorney-General and Justice and targets the top two priority offences occurring in the Tamworth region. The offences were selected using NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research data. The Plan is currently with the Crime Prevention Division of NSW Department of Attorney – General and Justice awaiting endorsement as a Safer Community Compact. Once this occurs Council is eligible to apply for grant funding. The Regional Crime Prevention Plan will assist Council, the community, local police and relevant state government departments and agencies to create a safe community environment at a regional level. For more information about crime prevention techniques, or information relating to crime prevention please visit the NSW Crime Prevention website.

Objectives of the Working Group

• To provide advice to the Council on emerging crime prevention issues
• To identify key strategic priorities or issues in relation to crime prevention
• To assist in the assessment and review of crime prevention plans
• To promote shared community ownership and partnerships for crime prevention across the regional area, and
• To provide advice on community engagement regarding crime prevention strategies

Membership of the Working Group

The Tamworth Regional Crime Prevention Working Group consists of the following membership:

• Four (4) Councillors
• A senior representative of the Oxley Local Area Command Crime Prevention Team
• A representative of the Attorney General’s Department (Juvenile Justice or Probation and Parole) 
• A representative of the Tamworth and District Liquor Accord
• A representative of Tamworth and District Chamber of Commerce and Industry 
• A representative of either the Tamworth taxi industry or associated with the security of the secure taxi rank
• A representative from Domestic Violence services sector
• A representative from the Aboriginal criminal justice services sector
• Three (3) representatives of the Tamworth regional community including one, where possible, with a legal/judicial background. If possible, an eligibility list will be created to replace Community Representatives unable to remain on the CPWG for the complete term. 

Graffiti Management Plan 2010 - 2014

Tamworth Regional Council’s Graffiti Management Plan 2010 - 2014, formally adopted December 2010 is a strategy of the Crime Prevention Working Group. It was developed with substantial community consultation and takes a broad based approach to graffiti management, with a key focus on partnership with the community and young people in particular.

The plan provides Tamworth Regional Council staff and community partners with a framework for responding to graffiti in the Local Government Area. The primary purpose of the Plan is to deliver a range of actions designed to work effectively together to reduce graffiti vandalism.

Strategies have been developed around the following themes:

• reporting and removal of graffiti
• education and community awareness
• prevention
• diversion and
• enforcement

In the preparation of the Draft Graffiti Management Plan, a range of stakeholders were consulted including:

• the Crime Prevention Working Group, including the Chamber of Commerce, Oxley Local Area Command, Tamworth and district Liquor Accord
• street artists and
• young people

For more information in about the plan, contact Council’s Community Development Officer on (02) 6767 5473.

For additional information about how to reduce graffiti around the region, please visit the NSW Government's Stop Graffiti and Vandalism website.

Crime Prevention Projects

The Tamworth Regional Council Crime Prevention Working Group is currently working on a number of crime prevention projects including:

• The extension to the Tamworth CBD coverage by CCTV with seven cameras providing coverage in selected areas of Brisbane Street, Peel Street, Kable Avenue and White Street. Funding for the cameras was provided by the Australian Government through a Proceeds of Crime grant. Tamworth Regional Council has worked with NSW Police to identify the locations that will provide coverage to the areas most in need. The cameras are connected by a fibre and wireless network with pictures transmitted live to Council observation screens and to Tamworth Police Station. All images are recorded and retained for 31 days unless they are required in relation to the investigation of crime or for court proceedings.  The CCTV Surveillance System Code of Practice contains the basic standards in accordance with which the Tamworth Regional Council’s CCTV Surveillance System will be operated. The document was formally adopted by Council on 13 April 2010. A brochure with additional information can be downloaded here.

A number of local groups and committees working towards crime prevention also report to the Tamworth Regional Council Crime Prevention Working Group.

Tamworth Local Domestic Violence Committee

The Tamworth Local Domestic Violence Committee has also been established to combat and raise awareness of domestic violence and sexual assault in the community. Membership of the committee includes representatives of the Tamworth Women’s Refuge, Department of Community Services, Hunter New England Health, NSW Department of Housing, Tamworth Regional Council, Police, Centacare and Centrelink. Current projects of the Committee include:

• the ‘Toilet Door Sticker’ Campaign is being rolled out throughout Tamworth and surrounding communities. The sticker provides phone numbers of local services for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault
• a domestic violence card has been produced housing all the important information and emergency numbers to assist victims of domestic violence

The Tamworth and District Liquor Accord

The Tamworth and District Liquor Accord was established in 2005 and comprises members involved with local hotels, pubs and clubs. The Accord is committed to preventing crime in and around licensed premises in the community. Tamworth Regional Council supports the Accord as part of the Regional Crime Prevention Plan.