Maylands residents plan to ‘design out crime’

MAYLANDS residents plan to “design out crime” in their town centre and have helped inform a report to prevent crime through environmental design.

Maylands homeless service 55 Central, Bayswater councillor Catherine Ehrhardt, Maylands MLA Lisa Baker, Focused Solutions chief executive Liz Lennon and Curtin University’s Paul Cozens and Courtney Babb recently launched the Design out Crime report.

Short-term recommendations in the report include beautification of Eighth Avenue, pruning trees at The RISE to improve carpark visibility, the inclusion of more community groups in the former police building to have “more eyes on the street” and to repurpose the master’s building at the train station.

Medium to long-term recommendations included the improvement of the Eighth Avenue alleyways with mobile CCTV, lighting, signage, street art and mirrors for blind spots.

It was also recommended the derelict block at 207 Guildford Road be fenced off with development encouraged, the Maylands precinct be branded, a survey be conducted into lighting and CCTV locations and crime incident recording and tracking to identify emerging issues.

55 Central general manager Kevin Dunn said the group tried to identify crime reduction and community safety needs of businesses in Maylands.

“Having small boutique shops with overcrowded windows, that can create opportunities for crime, similarly poor lighting, the lack of people around in the evening,” he said.

“We identified the key crimes people are worried about or the crimes they have experienced.”

Mr Dunn said concerns included thefts from businesses and threatening behaviour.

Business owners, Maylands Ratepayers and Residents Association, Maylands Business Association, WA Police and the City of Bayswater were consulted.