‘No one’s going harder on safety than me’: Lord Mayor vows to clean up CBD

Lord Mayor Nick Reece has refused to reveal when an election pledge to roll out round-the-clock security patrols at CBD hotspots will take effect, while safety fears soar.

Fewer Melburnians are feeling safe while they are in the CBD – whether they visit in the daytime or at night.

The City of Melbourne’s own figures – published late last year in its annual report – show only 48 per cent of people feel safe in the city at night, down three per cent from the previous year.

The figures also show 74 per cent of people feel safe in the city during the day – a significant drop of eight per cent in 12 months.

Lord Mayor Nick Reece said he would use “every power” at his disposal to improve city safety.

“No one is going harder on safety than me,” he said.

However, Mr Reece repeatedly refused to answer when during this four-year council term he would deliver on his election pledge to create a team of 30 City Safety Officers – who would wear stab-proof vests and patrol hotspots in the city around the clock.

Lord Mayor Nick Reece says he will use ‘every power’ at his disposal to improve city safety. Picture: Ian Currie

74 per cent of people say they feel safe in the city during the day – a significant drop of eight per cent in 12 months. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Instead, Mr Reece pointed to the council starting the hiring process for two security guards to take part in a six-week trial working with local laws officers to address the “ongoing challenges of public alcohol consumption and begging in key areas”.

“The procurement process is under way and I am confident council’s new security guards will be on streets by March – one of the city’s busiest months,” he said.

Mr Reece said the result of the trial with two security guards would “inform council’s decision-making in the upcoming Budget.”

Leicester House owners corporation chair and CBD safety advocate Paul Crapper said he believed the City Safety Officers should be deployed within months.

Fewer Melburnians are feeling safe while they are in the CBD – whether they visit in the daytime or at night. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Professor Kalms says when streets are unclean with a large number of transient people, it can leave people feeling unsafe.

“As a long-term CBD resident, I am expecting that these City Safety Officers that were promised during the election by Mr Reece in areas identified by the City of Melbourne as representing safety concerns for the public, such as Elizabeth Street South, will be delivered and they are on the job by June at the latest,” he said.

Monash University researcher into inclusivity and safety in public spaces, Professor Nicole Kalms, said no single solution would improve perceptions of safety in the CBD.

Professor Kalms says places that are poorly lit with lots of transient people, such as near a train station, can make people feel unsafe. Picture: Nicole Garmston

But there is no single solution to improve the perception of safety in the CBD. Picture: Daniel Pockett

“What our research tells us, about 50 per cent of feeling unsafe is due to the built environment and 50 per cent is the behaviour of other people,” Prof Kalms said.

“This means that things like the quality of lighting, cleanliness and even a concentration of 24-hour fast food outlets in a small area can contribute to someone feeling unsafe in an area.”

Professor Kalms said that when people feel unsafe they will avoid certain places.

“When areas are well maintained, there’s good visibility and lighting, high quality footpaths, these things improve the overall feeling of safety,” Prof Kalms said.

“However, when places are unclean, poorly lit, with a large number of transient people – such as near a train station – then very quickly people can feel unsafe.”