With Kiama Police Station reopening to re-establish a permanent daily police presence, former local policeman John Ernst and Kiama Councillor Yasmin Tatrai are concerned it is not enough to keep the Kiama community safe.   

Cr Tatrai recently aired her concerns at Council’s October meeting last week that there has been “an astounding increase in crime, with residents reporting various incidents, such as vandalism of vehicles and public property”.

She added that “advocating for a continuous police presence may be necessary to ensure community safety and deter future vandalism”.

Ernst was first stationed to the Kiama Local Area Command in the early 1970s when the population of Kiama was just 6000 - it is now over 22,000 people without including day visitors or seasonal tourists.

“There were six police officers here – four general duty and two traffic police and the traffic police also conducted general duty stuff when needed,” Ernst said.

“There was always something, general patrols are the deterrent to would-be criminals [and] there was very little crime in town.”

Recently, the Kiama Police Station officially reopened after the 141-year-old station closed for cosmetic renovation works.

Officers will be on duty at the station from 9am to 5pm Monday to Sunday and the Kiama LGA will continue to be patrolled 24 hours a day by the Lake Illawarra Police District from its headquarters in Oak Flats.

Cr Tatrai said members of the public had told her that their cars were targeted, and water bombed on Terralong Street.

“This trend raises significant concerns about community safety and the adequacy of police response to our LGA. With the local police station not operating 24/7, it is essential to assess the impact of this on crime rates and look at measures Council can take to address these types of events.”

Ernst said when there was a greater police presence in Kiama there were very few charges laid as a result, but there was a level of respect from the local community.

“You broke up the melee and everything was peaceful again – you went back to normality and that was it,” Ernst said.

“Whereas if police don’t get there within a certain time frame, it gets progressively worse.”

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the median age for Kiama is 52 years old compared to a significantly lower age of 39 years old which represents the state of NSW.

Ernst used youth behaviour on e-bikes as an example of antisocial local behaviour and said the problem comes down to respect from youths to not only others, but themselves.

“E-Bikes travel down there at least 40 km/h, with kids with no helmets on and people on the back,” Ernst said.

“It's a lack of respect for elderly on footpaths with their e-bikes and skateboards.” 

Kiama MP Katelin McInerney wants to reassure her electorate that “Lake Illawarra PD will continue to assess local needs and adjust resources accordingly to ensure the community and visitors remain safe”.

“As always, if an emergency occurs police will respond – every NSW Police car is a mobile police station in our modern, technology-driven Police Force,” McInerney said.

“From upgraded mobile police devices in every patrol car to enhanced data systems that support intelligence-led policing, we are giving our police the tools they need to keep up with a rapidly changing world.

“Police will continue to maintain a visible presence in person and online, and I encourage local residents to stay connected by using trusted channels (see below for phone numbers).”

The NSW Government has also made a significant investment during the recent Kiama by-election with a $200,000 commitment to a Night-Time economy strategy and trial of a Special Entertainment Precinct in the Kiama CBD.

Cr Tatrai acknowledged that this initiative highlights the need for a greater police presence, especially at night.

“If you look at small areas, say like Balmain or Newtown - they’ve got lots of pubs [but] they’ve got a police presence,” Cr Tatrai said.

“If we’re going to have a night-time economy which I hope we can achieve by supporting businesses, we also need a [full-time] police station.

“People have got to be able to walk out of a venue and be safe and I think that is our responsibility.”

Useful numbers:

Police Assistance Line (non-emergencies): 131 444

Crime Stoppers (confidentially): 1800 333 000

Emergency: Triple Zero (000)