City of Melbourne’s security push to improve safety

The City of Melbourne is set to commence a trial that will see security guards contracted to address “complex” on-street issues.

The six-week trial was unanimously endorsed at the February 3 Future Melbourne Committee meeting and aims to combat begging and the consumption of alcohol.

It comes after 37 incidents of violence were recorded over the past two years against council staff members who were enforcing local laws, with the council seeking to address the community’s safety concerns.

Under the trial, an external security services firm will provide two contracted security guards to support Local Laws Officers who are responsible for on-street behaviour-related issues.

Throughout Cr Reece’s election campaign, he announced that he would bring in a 30-person team of city safety officers, to be deployed across Melbourne’s high-traffic areas and crime hotspots.

However, a spokesperson from the City of Melbourne clarified that this trial was unrelated to any election promise, and the Lord Mayor remains committed to this election commitment.

Cr Reece told CBD News, “My top priority is keeping the city safe and clean for residents, local businesses, visitors, and our hard-working staff."

“This trial is an important step forward to help everyone feel safer in our city,” he said.

The ongoing challenges of public alcohol consumption and begging in key areas are undermining the sense of security and vitality that our city deserves.

Council management initially sought to negotiate with Victoria Police for two officers to work full-time with the City’s Local Laws Officers.

However, while Victoria Police understood the council’s concerns, it couldn’t go ahead with the request due to “operational priorities” preventing the commitment of additional resources.

A spokesperson from Victoria Police said it allocated resources where the most “community harm can be prevented” and that its primary focus was targeting, and where possible, stopping serious and violent crimes from occurring.

Currently, police run a regular operation targeting begging but also provide support to those experiencing homelessness, as well as running regular daily patrols across the CBD.

Speaking at the February 3 meeting, the council’s Community, Health and City Services portfolio head Cr Gladys Liu took a swipe at the state government, saying that “unfortunately” the council has been forced to use “ratepayers’” money to do the job it should be doing.

“Let’s see how it goes for this trial period of six weeks,” Cr Liu said. “If it shows that we really need more law and order enforcement here, then we have something to take to the state government to let them know that they need to do better.”

A Victorian Government spokesperson said that everyone who visited, worked, or lived in the CBD deserves to feel safe.

“There are 60 additional police officers in the CBD who are out on the beat every day deterring crime,” the spokesperson said. “Backed by our $4.5 billion investment for Victoria Police.”

“We will also introduce tougher laws against the assault of retail workers by the end of the year because we know this behaviour affects those working in the CBD, and it is simply unacceptable.”

However, Greens Cr Dr Olivia Ball said, “We can't arrest our way out of these difficulties.”

While she did share the safety concerns of fellow councillors and the community, she offered a range of alternatives, including the idea of a trial where Local Laws Officers would be supported by social workers rather than security guards.

Cr Dr Ball stressed that more needed to be done to address the root of the problem, particularly from the federal government, which she believes should increase income support payments above the poverty line.

The Greens MP for Melbourne Ellen Sandell also believes that not enough is being done to address the causes of begging and alcohol-related crime, with rising rents and a lack of public housing driving homelessness.

“I'm disappointed that Labor has delayed crucial mental health funding, leaving programs from the Mental Health Royal Commission stalled,” she told CBD News.

“Victoria spends the least on public housing of any state, worsening the homelessness crisis we see on Melbourne's streets, and some effective homelessness programs have also recently been wound back, exacerbating the problem.”