Break & Enter Prevention Program Home Security Kit. 

As part of Strathfield Council’s Break and Enter Prevention Program, an information and home security kit has been formulated.

Inside this kit you will find:

• Home Security Checklist
• Home Security Guide
• Property Identification factsheet

Enquire about how you can receive your free kit – call 9748 9999

This is an initiative of Strathfield Council in partnership with NSW Police and supported by the NSW Department of Justice and Attorney General.

Community Safety with NSW Police

Strathfield Council in partnership with NSW Police have developed the below safety videos filled with handy tips to keep yourself, family and belongings safe.

You can see the videos by clicking on the below links:

• Community Safety Video – English
• Community Safety Video – Mandarin
• Community Safety Video – Tamil
• Community Safety Video – Dari
• Community Safety Video – Hindi

Homelessness is a profound and developing issue in Australia. Homelessness can take many forms including rough sleeping, supported accommodation, couch surfing, living in boarding houses, temporary lodgings and overcrowded dwellings.

Some of the main causes for homelessness consist of domestic and family violence, poverty, unemployment or shortage of affordable housing, family breakdown, mental illness, addiction, financial difficulty, gambling or social isolation.

Strathfield Council has partnered with the NSW Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) and Wesley Mission to engage and support people sleeping rough in the Strathfield Local Government Area.

If you are aware of rough sleepers or homeless people in the local area, please complete the form below with as much detail as possible and return to communityservices@strathfield.nsw.gov.au

Referrals will be passed on to Wesley Mission who, with the person’s permission, can provide support or engage other agencies who can assist them with issues they may be dealing with.

Strathfield Council, public authorities, businesses and private property owners devote significant resources to managing and removing graffiti vandalism. The term ‘Graffiti vandalism’ generally refers to illegally defacing private and public property with markings and/or graphics without the owner’s consent.

Council has adopted a Graffiti Management Policy that sets out how Council manages graffiti vandalism in the Strathfield Local Government Area.

Rapid and continual removal of graffiti vandalism is the best way for property owners to protect their property and preserve the image of their neighbourhood. Removing graffiti within 24 to 48 hours makes removal easier and more effective and reduces the notoriety for graffiti vandals that results from having the graffiti vandalism on display.

Graffiti attracts graffiti

Graffiti on your property should be removed as soon as it appears. Graffiti on a wall or building attracts increased vandalism and more graffiti and may spread to other areas of your own, or your neighbours property.

Plants that fight back

Where a wall or object is a target for graffiti vandals, the answer may be as easy as some well-positioned plants. By covering a wall or object with a climbing plant such as the Creeping Fig (Ficus pumila) you remove the object that is being graffitied, you may also plant shrubs or small trees along the object or create a hedge. By using plants that have spikes the plants can fight back, when used in areas near an object that attracts vandals you are making it less likely that vandals will try to get to the object.

Don’t provide a blank canvas

A large straight wall of the one material without breaks, inclusions or interesting points is offering the vandals a blank canvas to paint on. A wall or fence that is a large expanse of the one material and colour without any breaks or inclusions is just teasing the vandals and providing the perfect place for them to place their graffiti. When designing buildings, walls and fences consideration should be made to reducing the expanse of the wall or fence, providing inclusions, landscaping, breaks and points of interest, these items not only make your wall much more attractive to the streetscape but also reduces the chance of the structure being vandalised.

Lighting

Graffiti vandals tend to prefer properties and objects that are dimly lit at night. Increasing lighting within vandalised areas and installation of bright sensor lights can prevent vandals.

Maintenance

A well maintained property with a good looking garden will be less likely to be vandalised or attacked by graffiti vandals than a run down or dilapidated property with overgrown weeds and gardens. Make sure that you maintain your garden and lawn, do not leave rubbish or old furniture within your property and keep your buildings, walls and fences properly maintained.

Businesses, shops and commercial areas

In addition to the methods described above there are a few additional methods that businesses, shops and commercial areas can utilise that will not only prevent graffiti, but also make the area more attractive to customers.

• Ensure windows (including shop windows) are kept clear and have high visibility to the outside and vice versa.
• Provide attractive window displays; show off your premium product or the latest special. Keep posters and written information to a minimum and up to date.
• Clean any graffiti as soon as it appears (including within awnings, roller doors and areas that are not visible during open hours)
• Remove posters, excess advertising material and other obstructions from the frontage of the building including windows and walls. If this material is necessary they may be placed in temporary displays that are taken in when the property is closed.
• Provide lighting to the shopfront and under awnings and encourage your neighbours to do so. If the area is bright and easily visible to neighbours and passing vehicles your frontage is less attractive to graffiti vandals. If your windows are clear at night leave some lights on at the front of the shop that brighten the street.
• Report the vandalism to the police each time, although they may not respond directly, if their records indicate high vandalism within an area they may increase patrols and police on the beat.
• Ensure your property has a neat and tidy appearance, both day and night.

Council property

Council removes graffiti from Council property within 48 hours of reporting. Council’s properties include buildings, signs, park and street furniture, and road signs.  To report any damage to public property contact Council’s Customer Service Centre on 9748 9999 or if you witness someone putting graffiti on a property, contact the Police immediately.

Public Authorities and State/Federal Government land and infrastructure

If graffiti appears on property belonging to State or Federal Government or utilities such as Sydney Water, Roads & Maritime Services, Ausgrid’s electrical substations, streetlights etc, Council is unable to remove the graffiti. Below are the correct organisations to contact.

Incidents of fraud have been rapidly increasing with criminals finding ever more insidious ways to steal your information.

On 31 July 2018, in partnership with NSW Justice and NSW Police, Strathfield Council launched a new tool to raise awareness about fraud and provide information on how to keep your data safe.

Protect your ID, Protect U is a film created by Council and Why Documentaries to alert the ordinary consumer to the facts of identity theft while also providing guidance and strategies to avoid becoming a victim.

For more information please contact Youth and Community Safety Officer, Strathfield Council, 9748 9999

A shortened video of Protect Your ID, Protect U may be viewed in the below translated versions:

• Chinese
• Korean
• Hindi
• Arabic

Strathfield Council has updated its Community Safety Strategy for 2020-2024. This strategy sets out actions to improve community safety in the Strathfield Council area over a four year period.

For further information, please contact Council’s Community Services team on 9748 9999.