What is anti-social behaviour (including hooning)?
Whether on main roads, paths, parks or verges, anti-social behaviour includes:
Anti-social public behaviour, vandalism or damaging property
Dangerous or reckless driving
Speeding or burnout activity
How the City addresses anti-social behaviour
The City takes a Community Development perspective to community safety. This means we work with the community to help residents prevent and respond to safety concerns. We do this through activities that increase residents’ knowledge of types of crime, how to reduce the risk of crime to themselves and their neighbours, and how to respond when residents witness a crime.
The City has several teams that contribute to the City’s response to the ongoing problem of hooning and anti-social behaviour.
Prevention
Using the principles of Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) the City designs facilities, streets, and other public spaces with the best chance of preventing crime.
Public open spaces (POS) are designed using the following criteria:
Houses should front and have direct views of all park areas.
Where houses do back on or side on to POS areas, fencing should be visually permeable to provide natural surveillance of the POS areas.
POS areas should not be located at dead end roads.
Parking embayments should be provided along the perimeters of the POS.
Landscaping and playgrounds should not create enclosed spaces that allow for no visual surveillance from the street.
POS parking areas should be visible from the street and not be located at the end of cul-de-sacs.
The City will assess potential hooning risks when planning the construction of new streets. In certain circumstances, the City may consider speed calming devices or barriers in certain locations, however there are limitations to ensure accessibility for other members of the community is not disrupted.
Likewise, it is possible to consider fencing/barriers in some instances to restrict unauthorised motorbike access to parks and reserves. However, parks and reserves must still be accessible to people with wheelchairs or prams. Fencing that prohibits wheelchairs or prams from entering a park or reserve cannot be implemented, therefore unlawful motorbike access will not be completely prevented from entering.
Our Community Development team supports residents to improve community safety by getting to know their neighbours. See our Growing our Neighbourhoods page for more information.
Can I call the City Rangers?
The City Rangers provide general surveillance and enforcement on a broad range of activities including animal control, illegal fires and bushfire prevention, parking control, and illegal off-road vehicle activity.
Rangers are not authorised or equipped to deal with illegal activities related to hooning or anti-social behaviour. This is a WA Police matter dealt with under the provisions of the Road Traffic Act 1974.
Reporting to Police
The City encourages members of the public to report any anti-social behaviour or traffic complaints to the Police for action.
If the incident is currently occurring and requires immediate Police assistance, please report anti-social behaviour or speeding to Police on 131 444.
If the incident is no longer occurring and Police assistance is not required, please lodge a complaint online via the Report a Hoon (Traffic Complaint) form.
You can also make a report via Crimestoppers by calling 1800 333 000.
Police Powers
WA Police have the power to enforce laws in relation to hooning and anti-social behaviour, with authorisations to take action which can include fines, court prosecution, licence suspension and vehicle seizure where appropriate.
While the Police may not be able to prevent these incidents from occurring, their powers allow drivers to be dealt with in a number of ways with the goal to prevent re-offending and act as a deterrent for other potential offenders.
How you can assist Police
The City monitors reports of hooning and anti-social behaviour, however we rely on support from our community, as well as WA Police, in order to tackle this complex issue.
To be successful in dealing with these matters, Police often need public assistance. To assist Police, please consider the following if it is safe to do so:
Take video recording if possible or photographs of the incident.
Record the date and time of the event.
Obtain the vehicle Make, Model, Colour and most importantly registration, if able.
Note down description of driver and occupants, if able, including clothing worn.
Address of where the vehicle comes from, if known.
Write down what occurred, where they drove, how they drove, and what they did.
The sooner you contact Police, the higher the chance attendance can be made in a timely manner and the vehicle located in the area.
Note: Even if Police are unable to attend at the time of the event, all reports made to Police contribute valuable intelligence to activities in the area.
What else can residents do?
Please let us know if you see any damaged City fences, lawns or gardens by phoning 9394 5000 or emailing info@armadale.wa.gov.au.
Register your CCTV system with the Western Australian Police Force Cam-Map database so the Police can access footage of illegal activity in your area.
Join or follow Armadale Neighbourhood Watch for information and activities that helps prevent crime in your neighbourhood. Go to their website or Facebook page, or phone 0497 675 920.
Get to know your neighbours by using the resources on our Growing our Neighbourhoods page.
