Late night antics

Date: 23/3/2006
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Author: -

MANY retailers in Monaro Street do not feel that installing security cameras in the main street of Queanbeyan will act as a deterrent for unruly behaviour.

Some shop owners spoke to 'The Age' this week, but were reluctant to have their names published – for safety reasons.

Despite the cry from one Monaro Street shop owner for "a human street cleaner," a number of managers and owners of storefronts along the city's main thoroughfare, believe the installation of security cameras will not curb the current level of unruly behaviour during the evenings.

"I've had everything from used tissues to some unmentionable items left at my door," said one shop owner, wishing to remain anonymous for safety reasons. "They definitely should install security cameras," she said.

However, according to the manager of the Dick Smith Electronics Queanbeyan (also wishing to remain nameless for company policy reasons), the manager for Revolution CD, Maggie Rowlands, and Jennie Norwood of Nouveau Riche on the other side of the street, the cameras are not the solution.

"I don't know how to solve the issue. We have had a small level of damage to our shop front as a result of unruly behaviour, but the perpetrators are young, and mostly school kids," according to Ms Rowlands. "The kids in school, and possibly at home, haven't been shown the right way to be treated and how to treat others. It's the big problem. The system is still the same regardless of video cameras. They won't change," she said.

Nouveau Riche's Jenni Norwood agrees. "We have had a broken window but it was from skateboard riders and not from unruly late-night revellers. There's not much for the youth to do in the town. Give them something to do that's fun." Ms Norwood while not wishing to comment too much on how her shop may or may not have been affected by the level of late-night unruly behaviour in Monaro Street, did say, "Wherever there's alcohol till early hours of the morning, there's bound to be unruly behaviour by some whether you are in Queanbeyan, Canberra or Timbuktu."

Dick Smith Electronics' Queanbeyan manager said he believes outside security cameras would probably not stop the unruly behaviour. "We have our own security cameras inside the shop and they don't seem to stop a particular group of young party-goers from coming in every Thursday during late-night shopping, to intimidate customers and employees," he said.

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