Councillor labels city “Clown Hall” as security guard trial extended

The City of Melbourne’s security saga continues, with two security guards who were employed as part of a six-week trial now contracted to continue patrolling the city until July this year – despite the findings from the trial not yet being released.

The council voted to extend the trial due to ongoing security concerns relating to begging and alcohol consumption, with the Collins Street Precinct Group, Kmart and Louis Vuitton reportedly requesting that the trial continue following a spate of ram raids throughout the city.

Lord Mayor Nick Reece told CBD News that he is “appalled” by the robberies and that he will stop “at nothing” to see the criminals caught.

However, the decision contradicts the original intent of the trial, which was to create a data set that could be analysed to determine its effectiveness.

Cr Davydd Griffiths delivered a polemic against the decision at the Future Melbourne Committee meeting on April 15, stating that it was “embarrassing” to even consider the motion.

“The kind of epithet that we try to avoid as a council is that term ‘Clown Hall’,” he said. “This is the kind of motion, particularly as urgent business, that lands us with exactly that kind of name.”

“It is the exact opposite of how policy on an issue as important as this should be made. You can hear that I am absolutely outraged that we are doing this in this way,” he added.

The trial began on March 7, with Crownland Security guards contracted for the six-week period. The longevity of the initiative was intended to be contingent on the results of the trial.

The guards had no authority to enforce the law but were employed to support the City’s local laws officers, who are responsible for managing on-street behaviour.

To fund the extension, the council has allocated an additional $100,000 to support its continuation, which is expected to run until July 1.

Initially, council management sought to negotiate with Victoria Police for two officers to work full-time alongside the local laws officers. However, Victoria Police was unable to proceed with the request due to “operational priorities” preventing the commitment of additional resources.

This became a point of contention for Cr Owen Guest, who voted for the motion but expressed concern over the police's failure to address the issue.

Cr Guest conceded that he didn’t “resent” the extension of the trial, but he did resent the reasons behind it.

“We need to get on the front foot here,” he said. “I fully accept that you have been trying to negotiate behind the scenes, but clearly it hasn't been as effective as we need it to be.”

Cr Reece confirmed with CBD News that he has spoken with the Premier, Jacinta Allan, and Police Minister, Anthony Carbines, about the spate of ram raids, who told him they are committed to working with VicPol, the City and local retailers to put an end to this criminal behaviour.

The council’s portfolio head for safety and cleaning, Cr Rafael Camillo, noted that during the trial period, there were more than 755 engagements with individuals involved in offending behaviours around town.

“The presence of a professional security service provider, just to remind everyone, is helping to ensure a local laws officer can enforce regulations,” he said. “Effectively creating a safer environment for all was the main importance of this trial.”

Additionally, in response to a recent spate of ram raids in the CBD, the City of Melbourne has installed temporary fixtures along Collins St and Little Bourke St over the weekend to help protect shopfronts.

Over the coming weeks, these will be replaced with permanent fixtures such as concrete planter boxes, seating and bike hoops from existing stock. The council has also provided CCTV footage to police to assist in their investigations of recent ram raids. •