Head of safety and cleaning portfolio defends council’s approach to community safety

City of Melbourne Cr Rafael Camillo has doubled down on the council’s commitment to community safety, as concerns continue to grow among Melbourne’s homeless community.

The rollout of the council’s Community Safety Officer Program and Safe City Camera Network has come under scrutiny from the Homeless Persons Union, community health services and legal organisations.

However, local businesses and residents have been supportive of the programs, and Cr Camillo argues that everyone in the city has the right to feel safe.

“There is no denying crime is on the rise in Melbourne, and we need to do more about this,” he said. “That’s why initiatives like our Community Safety Officer Program and the expansion of our Safe City Camera Network are so important.”

Eleven Community Safety Officers will be on the ground by the end of October. They have replaced two contracted security guards and will have the authority to make arrests for breaches of local laws.

Cr Camillo said they will focus on creating a safe and inclusive environment for all Melburnians.

“Our Community Safety Team’s primary focus is to help our whole community feel safe and supported,” he said. 

A key part of this is connecting vulnerable people with services and pathways to improve their wellbeing and avoid the justice system.

“Importantly, our Community Safety Officers will complement existing support mechanisms council has in place for those who need it most – from homelessness support such as Make Room, to our Daily Support Team, Melbourne City Mission and others.”

The council’s authorised officers have undergone extensive training, including trauma-informed engagement, mental health and substance use awareness, cultural safety, and family and gendered violence prevention.

Cr Camillo also noted that the recent security guard trial demonstrated the benefits of an increased on-street safety presence, with officers reporting a reduction in public begging and street drinking, and more than 50 individuals referred to support agencies.

However, at the October 21 Future Melbourne Committee (FMC) meeting, there was a large number of submissions speaking against the trial and the increased security presence.

A number of audio recordings were played in which homeless people shared their experiences in Melbourne and the impact the security guard trial has had.

One woman, who became homeless after losing her 13-year-old daughter, said she had several bad experiences with guards.

“I’ve had plenty of interactions with the security guards of Melbourne that walk around with the council,” she said. “Only on Saturday just gone, they actually followed me most of the day. Anywhere that I stopped, they would tell me to move on.”

“I’d just like them to know that I’m not a drug addict, I’m not mentally ill, I’m just a woman who’s had a couple of bad bouts … it makes me feel like I’m not allowed to exist. I’m just physically not allowed to be anywhere.”

Fitzroy Legal Service policy, advocacy and community engagement director, Verena Tan, called on the council to suspend the security and safety officers in the CBD.

“In your own homelessness strategy, council created an ambitious plan to end homelessness in the city,” she said.

However, she believes the current approach doesn’t align with Melbourne’s vision to end homelessness, but rather “criminalises poverty” by targeting begging and public drunkenness.

Moving forward, Ms Tan would like to see the council revise its approach to city safety and properly “consult” and “engage” with services and people with lived experience to provide a preventative, health-based response and take a people-centred approach. •