Council bolsters security presence but consultation concerns raised

The City of Melbourne will invest $2 million to expand its security presence in the CBD, despite failing to consult leading community health organisations during a security guard trial that informed the council’s approach to public safety.

At the June 17 Future Melbourne Committee (FMC) meeting, councillors voted to establish 11 Community Safety Officer roles, who will provide on-street support and help connect vulnerable individuals with existing support services.

Since March, the council has conducted a security trial involving contracted private security guards from Crownland Security who have assisted already serving municipal local laws officers in addressing anti-social behaviour and begging.

When the trial was first proposed in February, the initial report stated it would run for six weeks and that the council would collaborate closely with organisations such as Cohealth.

However, Cohealth was not consulted, and Council voted to extend the trial beyond six weeks in April. It will now remain in place until the new Community Safety Officer program is operational.

Cohealth’s CBD-based outreach team provides wraparound healthcare to individuals experiencing trauma, homelessness, alcohol and drug dependency, mental health challenges, and violence-related issues.

In a submission to the council regarding the new Community Safety Officer initiative, Cohealth's community drug and alcohol response director Andrea Fischer, criticised the council’s lack of consultation.

“We have not been briefed or given an opportunity to discuss the implications of what has happened,” she said. “Our staff have been approached by compliance and security officers with no acknowledgement of the service Cohealth provides and have been asked to identify themselves.”

“We have reached out to Crownland Security requesting meetings and offered to provide training to their staff through the City of Melbourne. However, this offer has not yet been accepted,” she added.

Ms Fischer also raised concerns about rough sleepers being poorly treated by security guards.

“It would appear that the aim is to provoke a reaction from clients by intimidating them, leading to physical intervention by security,” she said.

“Many of our clients are vulnerable women with histories of family violence and trauma. Being surrounded by uniformed men on the street is both intimidating and distressing.”

While the council’s report acknowledged that more work is required with existing service providers to support individuals exhibiting behaviours not suited to current referral pathways, it stated the trial had improved both the actual and perceived safety of local laws officers.

At the June 17 meeting, several residents and business owners expressed support for the security trial.

Pellegrini’s Espresso Bar owner, David Malaspina, said that “we strongly support the security pilot and want it expanded. This response has been needed for a long time due to unsafe and anti-social behaviour in the CBD.”

“Having these security officers visible ensures that everyone who shares the city feels safer, knowing that an appropriate and experienced team is nearby. We applaud the initiative,” he said.

However, Cr Andrew Rowse cautioned that while an increased security presence was welcomed, deeper, systemic issues underpinning homelessness and anti-social behaviour also need to be addressed.

“This needs to be a multifaceted approach,” he said. “It should not only focus on keeping people safe in the short term, but also tackle the root causes of these issues, which take time and resources to resolve.”

Ms Fischer recommended the development of a Code of Conduct that outlines the responsibility of compliance and security staff to act in accordance with basic human rights.

She also called for a clearly communicated complaints system to ensure accountability, alongside public reporting of security-related activities. •