St Kilda foreshore: Port Phillip Council wants more cops to keep area safe

An inner city council will push for more police patrols on the St Kilda foreshore after a string of violent incidents, but not all councillors believe it’s necessary.

Pictures taken this evening at St Kilda beach of large crowds gathering. Picture by Wayne Taylor 15th November 2020

An inner city council is pushing for more police in one of Melbourne’s biggest summer hot spots following a string of violent incidents on the St Kilda foreshore.

Port Philip Council will write to state government ministers and local MPs calling for more officers to patrol its beach areas after councillors received safety concerns from traders and residents.

A 24-year-old Brunswick East man was stabbed to death on the foreshore on October 27, while chaos also erupted on Melbourne Cup Day with brawls and five women being threatened with a knife in an alleged attempted carjacking.

Councillor Rhonda Clark’s urgent motion, which passed five-votes-to-four at the council’s meeting on Wednesday night, stated that police didn’t have “the resources or powers required to adequately manage the St Kilda beach areas when large crowds regularly visit”.

Port Phillip Council will advocate for more police to be based along the St Kilda Foreshore. File picture.

Cr Clark said she felt safety on the foreshore was “at a crossroads” and it was the council’s responsibility to listen to community concerns and instigate a review of local resources available.

“We need to ensure this area and our municipality is a safe and a pleasant place for everyone … something needs to change,” she said.

“We want to make sure there’s no more deaths or police attacks … and everyone can come home worrying about their sunburn rather than their safety.”

Councillors Tim Baxter, Louise Crawford, Katherine Copsey and Peter Martin did not support the motion and believed more work and a different approach was needed.

Cr Martin said simply increasingly officer numbers would make the beach area less attractive, while Cr Crawford said the motion “adds nothing to what we’re already doing.”

Members of the Ratepayers of Port Philip Facebook page were surprised with the vote result.

Tania Sullivan wrote “Why would any councillor vote against pursuing proactive safety initiatives?” while Nick Stuart wrote: “Do the councillors who voted against even live in St Kilda and frequently shop in the area?”

Mayor Marcus Pearl said he believed fewer opportunities for people to travel overseas due to Covid-19 restrictions had led to “larger numbers” drawn to St Kilda’s beaches.

Cr Pearl said he would write to police minister Lisa Neville and Albert Park state Labor MP Martin Foley “shortly” to express the council’s concerns.

“We want everyone in our city, whether they be a resident, trader or tourist, to enjoy St Kilda and our beaches in a safe and peaceful manner,” he said.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman did not say if more officers would be allocated to the area, but said visitors could expect a “highly visible” presence including frontline and specialist resources as part of the annual Operation Summersafe.

“Police are also regularly working collaboratively with the local community and stakeholders such as council to ensure we are providing a dynamic and reliable police response in the area,” the spokeswoman said.