One of the candidates for Hobart Lord Mayor will push for a a crackdown on worsening CBD crime and violence if elected.
Long-serving Alderman Marti Zucco claims council has dropped the ball, particularly with regards to the Wellington Centre.
“These young thugs hang out and harass people,” he said.
“We have a video which was provided to us by one of the traders where a young person’s got this massive knife, and the amount of traders that we’ve spoken to just say there seems to be a blind eye put to it.”
Alderman Zucco is running on a joint ticket with Simon Behrakis who’s gunning for Helen Burnet’s Deputy Lord Mayor spot.
“We have had shop owners being punched in the face for trying to prevent shoplifting, and staff held at knifepoint,” Ald Behrakis said.
“I was confronted by a shop owner who expressed their frustration at the fact that while Council has been wasting time arguing over statues, people in the CBD do not feel safe and it does not seem to be a priority.”
The aldermen are pledging to hold talks with police to boost patrols in the area and introduce monitored CCTV.
CCTV footage of a CBD knife rampage earlier this year which saw several teens flee the offender (supplied)
