The newly elected mayor of Glenorchy has vowed to work towards tackling youth crime in the area after witnessing the “terrible problems” it is causing in the municipality.
Sue Hickey raised concerns about the issue at her first meeting since being elected on Monday night, saying that “all” around the council table know that it is only a “very small minority of individuals who are causing these problems”.
“The simple fact is they are having a terribly detrimental effect on people’s sense of safety,” she said.
“We are seeing people getting verbally and physically assaulted. Shop owners and their employees are frightened for their physical safety.”
“It’s something we should all be extremely concerned about.”
Hickey said the issue affects every part of the community, including council staff.
She plans to host a business forum in the near future to gather insights into the issues and work towards developing solutions.
“No one wants to hear businesses talking about closing their doors because their staff are too scared to go to work for fear of being confronted and threatened,” she said.
“In many instances, the causes are likely to be extremely complex and will need the buy-in of other government agencies and services.”
The mayor’s comments come after several reported incidents of violence in the area in recent days, including an attack on a taxi driver for refusing a ride and an incident involving a 13-year-old girl.
Tasmania Police say officers regularly patrol key areas to ensure public safety and have urged people to report any anti-social behaviour to Triple Zero (000).
