TROUBLE IN PARADISE AS CRIME WAVE HITS KALBARRI

The once idyllic holiday haven of Kalbarri is in the midst of a rare
crime wave, with locals saying a small group of offenders are
terrorising the seaside town.

Their fears have been heightened by intense speculation that the
problem stems from the arrival of a band of "parolees" about a year ago.

The community's rumour mill forced police to hold an emergency
anti-crime meeting on Thursday, the second in the past 12 months.

In a sign the problem has worsened, the first forum attracted about
80 residents, but the most recent meeting drew more than 200 fed-up
locals to the town's sporting hall for a tense but carefully
controlled talkfest.

On the surface, Kalbarri in 2008 seems like the carefree and unspoilt
Kalbarri of old, but on closer inspection it is revealed as a town
divided. Many locals fear for their safety and are angry their
community is being tainted, while others say the issue has been blown
out of proportion and their lifestyle has not changed.

Police admit there has been a rise in serious crime in Kalbarri,
almost 600km north of Perth, and that drugs and alcohol are major problems.

Residents say the unwanted new residents have brought the scourge of
methamphetamine, or ice, and most of the recent crimes are drug-related.

In the past 12 months Kalbarri has had an almost fatal drive-by
shooting, a spate of arsons (three in one night recently), assaults,
burglaries and vandalism.

At the meeting, Kalbarri's three-man police force bore much of the
blame, accused of slow response times and being a "phantom" presence
in town amid revelations on occasions the town is left without officers.

Many at the meeting called for more police in the town, which has no
extra officers when the population swells from about 2000 to 10,000
in peak holiday periods.

A business owner said there were dangerous elements in town who
fought among themselves and were involved in drugs, but most
residents steered clear of Kalbarri's seedy side and were not
affected or intimidated.

But some locals were too scared to attend the forum and most refused
to be identified in the media for fear of retribution.

Many residents say there is a main instigator, who one local says
claims he is connected to Melbourne's infamous Moran gang family and
acts like the town's "kingpin".

Police said they kept a close eye on about six repeat offenders, but
would not comment on any continuing investigation or individuals,
while urging against vigilante action.

In the local newspaper, the Rev. Matt Brain was forced to deny claims
he was an informal parole officer helping integrate parolees into a
town with limited employment and no rehabilitation services.

A spokesman for the Prisoner Review Board last week guaranteed no
current parolees lived in Kalbarri, according to their records.

A business owner, who had his tyres slashed recently, believed
someone could end up being killed. "We've got big city problems in a
tiny little community," he said.

A woman, who claimed she was constantly threatened after confronting
a suspected drug dealer, said she was thinking about leaving town.

"I was told I would have a brick through my head and a brick through
my window," she said.

A business owner warned a vigilante group was bound to form if action
was not taken by police or the bureaucracy. "I know it's a sign of
the times but hang on, I'm not going to give up my lifestyle without
a fight," he said. "This is our town."

One local said it was a shame Kalbarri's status as a top tourism,
family-friendly and safe town was being threatened by a "couple of bad eggs".

At the forum, desperate locals volunteered to work in the police
station to help officers concentrate on front-line duties, while most
agreed that the problems might have been avoided if businesses
conducted police checks on employees.

Local policeman Sgt Michael Tite said Kalbarri was still a very safe
town. He said it had experienced a downturn in most crime over the
past year, except arson, but admitted drug detection was on the rise.
"Rumours are damaging this town," he said. "What it is a case of is
the outside world catching up to Kalbarri, we've been a soft target."

Mid-West police Supt Fred Gere said the community perception was fear-driven.

He said if the town's criminals picked up on any signs of community
fractures, it would be "open house" for them.

Police promised to make a plea to the State Government that Kalbarri
was not a suitable place for parolees and encouraged the community to
do the same.

KATE CAMPBELL