Perth Voice Interactive

CRIME concerns have prompted Bayswater police to organise a community forum in Bedford.

The date for the event is yet to be determined.

“The cricket club was broken into recently, the self-cleaning toilet block was vandalised again last week, and there are drug dealers running product in and out of the area,” says Stirling city councillor David Lagan, who lives in the area.

“For the past two years there has been a lot of anti-social behaviour, including theft, vandalism and anti-social drinking, on the border between Inglewood and Bedford.

“I had a meeting with the police last week who agreed to up patrols in the area—residents want to see more coppers on the streets.”

Acting police inspector Dave Whitnell concedes issues affecting Bedford include “stealing, burglaries, motor vehicle theft, damage and assaults”. Both he and Maylands Labor MP Lisa Baker say the high concentration of state government housing in the area is part of the problem.

“Within Bedford we have several areas of government-provided housing and historically these housing precincts bring their own unique series of issues,” Mr Whitnell says, adding police are working closely with locals on the ground to “identify and tackle the root cause of these problems”.

Ms Baker is encouraging locals with concerns to attend, when a date has been set, and says the public housing mix has to be part of the discussion.

“I think that Homeswest need to look at the percentage of public housing they have in each suburb and make sure it is distributed on an even basis and not too concentrated,” she says.

“I will attend the forum and look forward to working with the police and the community to address these on-going issues.”

by STEPHEN POLLOCK