CRIME IN THE CROSS ISN'T THE BEST BUT IT COULD BE WORSE: CARR

The back streets and alleyways of Kings Cross, long home to drug
dealers, prostitutes and muggers, are getting safer, according to
police statistics released yesterday by the Premier.

Mr Carr said a major anti-crime operation by NSW police had resulted
in the arrest of numerous "subhuman" drug dealers in the area and a
substantial drop in assaults, although he conceded that "we still have
a long way to go".

However, the local MP, Ms Clover Moore, said many Kings Cross
residents felt the district was now less safe than before the royal
commission which uncovered massive corruption among police in the area.

"After $70 million of public money spent on the royal commission and
18 months' work on a targeted Kings Cross management project, the
people of Kings Cross should be seeing substantial results," she said.

"In reality, we have a situation where cocaine dealers are in control
of the streets. They have no fear ... and are dealing overtly in full
view of residents and even the police."

While Ms Moore welcomed promises of increased resources for the area,
she said short-term police operations with a high media profile would
merely displace drug dealing and street crime to neighbouring areas.

The local police commander, Superintendent Ray Adams, said last night
that major crimes in the area had been falling gradually over the past
six to eight months.

"As far as we are concerned, the figures show that crime is coming
down in all areas in Kings Cross," he said. "Police are doing their
job and they are doing it well."

Mr Carr said City Safe, the anti-crime operation in Kings Cross, had
led to 457 drug arrests this year - up 52 per cent on the same period
in 1997.

The operation had also resulted in a 19 per cent drop in assaults, the
closure of a number of strip joints and the collection of more than $1
million in fines for licensing breaches.

He said this was due largely to a decision to deploy an extra 11
police in the area since May.

"No-one is saying that Kings Cross is crime-free," Mr Carr said. "The
police challenge at Kings Cross is formidable and will always be formidable.

"But we want to be in there trying, supporting the police officers on
the front line.

"Extra police resources combined with an intelligent approach to crime
fighting are making the inner city a safer community. There is a
police presence there now. In the past, it was handicapped by
corruption."

Asked how safe Kings Cross was, Mr Carr replied: "It can be very, very
unsafe. We are not in the business of giving guarantees. There is drug
dealing there, drug addicts going into the area. I regard drug dealers
as being close to subhuman."

The Opposition spokesman on police, Mr Andrew Tink, told Parliament
that while drug dealing in Kings Cross was a major problem, the
Government had cut the number of police working exclusively on drug
law enforcement from 300 to 50.

Checked-by: Patrick Henry