"While police do a great job responding to crime and CCTV plays a role in preventing crime, crime is an indication of a deeper issue," says Mayor Rhys Williams.
Mayor Williams was addressing a room full of Peel business owners at the Mandurah Business Breakfast forum held at the Mandurah Offshore Fishing and Sailing Club on November 26.
Mayor Williams opened the forum by discussing the impact of crime in Mandurah and the ways in which the City plans to tackle the issues at the root of the problem, which he says are rapid population growth and slow employment opportunity growth.
He said when a young person wishes to advance in their career or enter a certain industry not currently supported in Mandurah, that they have to "pack up and leave" and that the data has shown "they don't come back" - an issue Mayor Williams said he is passionate about changing.
"When we look at the cost to society of not intervening in this challenge of making sure that Mandurah is transformed from where it is now, which is a really large population with a small-town fishing village economy, it makes sense for us to think about what the priority has to be for the next 20 years to make sure that Mandurah's future can be as proud as its past has been."
Mayor Williams told the room that their challenge as business owners alongside the City was to make plans about how to encourage and nourish employment opportunities.
"We have to think about how we're going to encourage that employment growth in aspirational areas where young people in this community can feel like they can have a successful, prosperous life and stay in Mandurah - and, as a result of that, reduce crime and the impact of that disconnection from aspiration.
"There are absolutely intervention points that we can put into place.
"We need to make sure that the impacts that you're feeling in your business every day are being addressed through intervention and not just through this idea that somehow if more police come along and lock everyone up that society is going to get better and stronger.
...not just through this idea that somehow if more police come along and lock everyone up that society is going to get better and stronger. That is just not how it works.
"That is just not how it works."
He said the City would now focus on partnering with educational institutions to help to grow aspirational connection and provide the opportunity for young people to plant their roots in Mandurah.
Superintendent John Leembruggen from WA Police addressed the room to discuss the importance of police working together with the community in order to prevent crime.
"Crime is a community issue - so it's really important that the community come on board and report that information," Superintendent Leembruggen said.
A core focus for Mandurah Police in terms of criminal activity, according to Superintendent Leembruggen, was hooning - an issue that had been greatly impacting the community in Mandurah.
"Since the beginning of the year we have seized 738 vehicles for serious traffic offences - 229 of those were for hooning.
Since the beginning of the year we have seized 738 vehicles for serious traffic offences - 229 of those were for hooning.
"Mandurah police don't work in isolation, we have a traffic enforcement group and there is a hoon hotline that the public can call."
The Superintendent said the State funding which would increase the number of officers would mean a greater police presence in the City and added that police would be working together closely with the City of Mandurah to tackle the greater issues.
"The 950 extra people that we are getting - our recruitment is well and truly underway."