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City parking inspectors asked to monitor crime hot spots

Parking inspectors would be required to monitor city safety hot spots during a six-month trial to be considered by the Adelaide City Council tonight.

Sep 11, 2018, updated Sep 11, 2018
Town Hall's bevy of parking inspectors are being asked to monitor city crime hot spots.

Town Hall's bevy of parking inspectors are being asked to monitor city crime hot spots.

In its last full meeting before the election caretaker period kicks in, the council tonight will consider a recommendation to trial an expanded safety surveillance role for the council’s team of Parking and Information Officers.

The recommendation came after the council earlier this year asked for a report on the idea of establishing a team of “precinct safety and surveillance officers” who would “observe and report signs of anti-social and criminal behaviour to the relevant authority”.

Instead, the council administration is recommending that current Parking and Information Officers be given training to “proactively monitor” the city outside the hours staffed by the council’s team of Community Safety Officers who look out for breaches of bylaws.

While parking inspectors already keep an eye out for problems on the streets, their new role would focus on problematic precincts in the city.

Vanessa Godden, the council’s Associate Director, Customer, said the idea was for parking officers to increase “the span and effectiveness” of their city presence during current hours of operation and special events.

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“This will involve incorporating in the PIOs’ duties, the proactive monitoring of known hot spots for any antisocial or illegal activity,” she said.

“Additional staffing hours will be considered for special events, as well as prior to and during public holidays, with a view to providing a public presence during hours not currently covered.”

A similar idea was also raised by the Hutt Street Working Party, formed to address concerns about anti-social and criminal behaviour on the street.

The council papers say that the trial can be managed by current staffing levels under the relevant enterprise bargaining agreement.

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