Saturday 18 October 2008

Teenager threatened in Thornlie attack

as posted TheWest

17th October 2008, 15:45 WST

A couple threatened to kill a teenage girl while robbing her in Thornlie last night.

Cannington Detectives are searching for a man and woman who grabbed the 16-year-old as she walked on Spring Road towards Thornlie train station about 6.20pm.

Cannington Det-Sgt Jason Beesley said the man grabbed the girl in the groin and threatened to slit her throat if she did not hand over her money.

He showed her an item concealed in his pants, which he claimed was a weapon.

The pair stole $100 from the girl’s purse before she managed to escape.

The armed man was described as aged in his late thirties to early forties, 180cm tall and of medium build, with tanned skin, short brown hair, blue eyes and rotting yellow teeth.

He was wearing a dark jacket, red polo shirt with a dark motif and baggy black pants.

His partner was described as aged 35 to 40, 165-170cm tall and of pudgy build, with pale dry skin and longish dirty dyed auburn hair in a pony tail.

She was wearing a cream polo shirt and pushing a dark blue pram with a hood.

PERTH
GABRIELLE KNOWLES

as posted TheWest

Animal Protection Society of WA Inc

as posted here
Thursday, October 16, 2008
The APS Veterinary Day Clinic was officially opened by the mayor of Gosnells on Sunday 12th October and will be in use this week. We are all thrilled as now the animals don't have to be transported to and from outside vets making it much better for the them. Much gratitude goes to Bicton and Jandakot Vets who helped us out tremendously. Our new clinic was made possible due to the kind generosity of the late Mr Gerard Hendriks who had a great love of animals.

Don't forget we have our dog walk on the 26th October, 11am - 3pm at Bibra Lake (the park opposite Adventure World). Bring your pooch for a walk around the lake, the cost being $5. Refreshments are available and we have stalls and activities. We do ask that you keep your dog on a lead at all times please. See you there!

as posted here

Monday 13 October 2008

Suburban graffiti costs millions

as posted TheWest

Perth is losing the war on graffiti, with a survey of major councils throughout the metropolitan area revealing many are struggling to cope with soaring clean-up bills collectively costing taxpayers millions of dollars a year.

Many councils say they are fed up with vandals thumbing their nose at authorities and have demanded immediate reinstatement of a graffiti taskforce which was abandoned by Labor in 2002.

By far the worst hit is the City of Stirling, with 10,876 reports of graffiti in 2007-08, up from 6845 the previous year, and a massive clean-up bill of $658,000, despite initiatives to combat the problem.

The City of Swan also faced a big bill of $619,000 after recorded incidents almost doubled to 2458 from 1270 in a single year.

But almost every council is facing big increases in graffiti reports and clean-up bills.

They have had to install CCTV, employ graffiti removalists, set up hotlines and websites and provide anti-graffiti diversionary programs, among other measures.

According to the Office of Crime Prevention, the State Graffiti Hotline received 3724 reports of graffiti damage in its first year to August 2008 and 4805 reports via the Goodbye Graffiti website, but just two $1000 rewards for tips leading to cautions or charges were given out.

At the Town of Vincent the cleanup bill almost doubled from $36,375 to $63,700, with reports jumping from 1455 to 1882.

City of Joondalup Mayor Troy Pickard said that after the substantial increase in incidents in his suburbs — 3857 graffiti removals costing $497,789 — the city would lobby the State Government for the “long overdue” reinstatement of a graffiti task force.

He was keen to see harsher penalties for repeat offenders.

City of Bayswater Mayor Lou Magro said he had joined the cities of Stirling and Wanneroo in a regional partnership to tackle graffiti after his costs jumped 20 per cent to $165,723.

Graffiti was a “problem bigger than any one local government” and a problem the State Government must provide leadership and funding to tackle.

City of Gosnells Mayor Olwen Searle said graffiti attacks had cost his council $234,765 to clean.

He said it was time to call graffiti what it was — criminal damage — and jail offenders.

“Magistrates have the ability to fine these vandals up to $12,000 but do not apply the maximum fines or punishments . . . all our work is undermined when the vandals responsible walk away from court laughing at the authorities,” he said.

The City of Belmont was one of the only councils where incidents fell, to 10,012 in 2007-08 from 11,214 the previous year.

City of Perth executive officer Frank Edwards, whose council stumped up $360,000 in the past year and voted to spend an extra $197,000 to extend the removal service, said graffiti was a blight on the city.

Police Minister Rob Johnson yesterday blamed the previous Labor government for allowing the “scourge” of graffiti to proliferate.

He said his Government had committed to reintroducing the graffiti task force and to increasing the fines for graffiti vandals and retailers who sold spray paint to minors.

He declined to say when the measures would be introduced, saying they were part of the Liberals’ “100-day plan”.

“I am currently being briefed by the Police Commissioner about a range of issues, including graffiti, and will be better placed to comment on the details of our overall graffiti strategy once those briefings have concluded,” Mr Johnson said.

FLIP PRIOR

as posted TheWest

Day one ..

the following reply was given ...

Thankyou for your enquiry. Council meetings are conducted under the provisions of the City of Gosnells Standing Orders Local Law 2003, a co...