Nick Reece pledges to deploy city safety officers if re-elected

A 30-person team of city safety officers would be deployed 24/7 across Melbourne’s high traffic areas and crime hot spots including Elizabeth St if Lord Mayor Nick Reece is re-elected in October.

The new officers, who would be employed by the City of Melbourne, would be equipped with Kevlar vests and body cams. Although they would enforce local laws, they would have a direct line to Victoria Police for more serious incidents.

“A Melbourne that is as safe and secure as possible is the foundation of a thriving city,” Cr Reece said. 

Traders, especially in hot spot areas like Elizabeth St, want to know that the City of Melbourne is doing everything it can to reduce criminal and other anti-social behaviour.

“City Safety Officers will be a highly visible and responsive presence on the streets, especially on weekends, at nighttime, and during major events and festivals – they will work hand-in-glove with Victoria Police to help ensure that Melbourne remains a safe and welcoming place for all.”

Cr Reece said he would also set up a dedicated hotline and online portal for residents and local business owners to report safety concerns to the city safety officers and safe city control room.

The officers would be trained in managing hostile situations and initially be deployed in the central city, including high traffic areas like Elizabeth St, Southbank and Docklands, with potential expansion to other neighbourhoods.

Rival candidate and Melbourne business leader Gary Morgan wants a tougher approach to crime.

“Lord Mayor Candidate Nick Reece doesn’t go far enough with his policy of providing council workers with vests,” Mr Morgan said.

If elected, he would work with Victoria Police to extend the coverage of armed protective service officers to have them patrolling streets and parks within 500 metres of every train station in the City of Melbourne council area.

“City of Melbourne residents, workers and tourists are more concerned than ever about Melbourne safety. Unfortunately ‘thuggish’ behaviour is rampant in the streets surrounding Melbourne’s stations – tough action is need now to curtail  ‘thugs’ once they leave inner Melbourne’s stations,” Mr Morgan said.

The council has been working to address antisocial behaviour at the south end of Elizabeth St near Flinders Street Station, following roundtables with police and business owners in January and February.

Though former Lord Mayor Sally Capp said in June that measures such as bollards and more frequent cleaning and graffiti removal were leading to “positive trends in cleanliness and behaviour,” residents and traders expressed mixed views on whether safety had improved.

Cr Reece earlier pledged to install an additional 200 CCTV cameras by 2026, almost doubling the number of cameras in the city.