Community Safety in Melbourne

Shelley Roberts wants a safe 24 hour CBD which can support staggered work hours with public transport available 24 hours, 7 days a week. Ultimately this would lead to more people on the street around the clock aiding crime prevention through passive observation and help to relieve traffic congestion and high pressure levels on public transport.

She is a strong advocate of zero tolerance policing in Melbourne for the protection of residents, workers and visitors.

Shelley Roberts will push for ‘A Safer Melbourne’ through a policy which will Design Out Crime to promote and facilitate:

• safety initiatives by crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED)
• research to determine the effect of inferior spatial configuration on alcohol fused environments
• active street edges, ones where views are possible into and from buildings
• opportunities for passive observation
• more street cafes and events that put people on the street – seeing and being seen
• new buildings which are designed without alcoves or places of concealment
• effective lighting at pedestrian level and overhead for streets
• build on the City of Melbourne Safe City Strategy - laneway and alcove safet; safe City car park; safe City taxi rank; night rider buses.

Shelley Roberts will promote a positive perception of our Police Force in our community. She will push the State Government to better resource Melbourne policing and …

• campaign for more police foot patrols and police on bikes
• establish a community campaign to get to know the officer on the beat and promote an acceptance and expectation that police on Melbourne’s streets is a natural occurrence – not a sign of trouble
• increase the number of CCTV cameras where required to assist police to interdict potential incidents and crime before an incident escalates

Shelley Roberts knows that alcohol fueled violence is a key public safety issue in Melbourne. Modern Melbourne must be a 24 hour City. Lockouts, like prohibition, is not the answer to this central problem.

Shelley Roberts will lead the public pressure on the State Government, Parliament and Liquor Licensing Authorities to …

• strengthen Liquor licensing laws and remove loopholes
• deploy sufficient inspectors, particularly at night, to enforce those laws, particularly the responsibility of licensees to ensure alcohol is not provided to intoxicated patrons
• make a condition of a Melbourne liquor license the implementation and adherence to the terms of ‘The Responsible Practice Guidelines for Licensees within the City of Melbourne’

And Shelley Roberts will ensure that appropriate spatial design requirements are incorporated into ‘The Responsible Practice Guidelines for Licensees within the City of Melbourne’.