Wednesday, 1 April 2026

 Anthony CIANFLONE (Pascoe Vale) (19:20): (1628) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Police, Minister for Community Safety and Minister for Victims, and the action I seek is for the minister to provide my community with an update on how the investments, initiatives and reforms of the Victorian Labor government are progressing to help prevent crime and make the suburbs of Pascoe Vale, Coburg and Brunswick West safer for all.

Everyone deserves and has the right to feel and be safe in their homes, neighbourhoods, workplaces and communities. That is why as a Victorian Labor government we have continued to take meaningful and tough action on crime and the root causes of crime, including via the appointment of Mike Bush as the new Victoria Police commissioner; stronger bail laws to crack down on violent, dangerous and serious repeat offending; implementing serious consequences and time for violent crime; life sentences for youth gang recruiters; introducing the nation’s first ban on machetes and other measures to take dangerous weapons off our streets; tougher laws to crack down on organised crime, illicit tobacco and posting and boasting; protecting retail staff; and more flexible deployment of PSOs through transport and shopping precincts. We have established the new violence reduction unit; youth crime early intervention programs, including community safety and social workers in schools programs; stronger anti-vilification laws to crack down on hate speech; new family violence prevention laws to protect women and children; and ongoing action on the root causes of crime via housing, education, health, wellbeing, mental health, youth engagement, cost of living and much more. We have delivered dedicated local crime prevention initiatives, including 179 extra police officers locally since 2015 and 21 additional family violence specialist police, and we have launched dedicated local operations Operation Priority and Operation Bluestone to target crime and community safety in Central Coburg, Pentridge, Newlands and North Coburg. We have got the new activity centre plan, which is all about revitalising Central Coburg and Victoria Street Mall, including a $153,000 recent investment to refurbish and improve safety, ambience and amenity at Victoria Street Mall.

These real measures and real actions are making a difference. As of December 2025 we have continued to drive down crime and offence rates across our community, with a 5.2 per cent decrease in the offence rate overall compared to the previous 12 months, a 4.1 per cent decrease in the number of offences, a 9.9 per cent decrease in crimes against the person, an 8.1 per cent decrease in assault and related offences, an 11.5 per cent decrease in stalking, harassment and threatening behaviours, a 10.2 per cent decrease in sexual offences, a 4.1 per cent decrease in property and deception offences, an 18.5 per cent decrease in property damage, a 17.1 per cent decrease in burglaries and break-ins, a 9 per cent decrease in drug offences, a 17.6 per cent decrease in public order and security offences, a 17.8 per cent decrease in weapons and explosives offences, a 23 per cent decrease in public nuisance offences and a 12.5 per cent decrease in disorderly and offensive conduct.

But of course, notwithstanding this progress, there is more to do. That is why I was pleased to have hosted a community safety roundtable with the Premier in North Coburg on 11 February, where we heard from a range of locals around the impact of crime on them and their neighbours and community. We heard from Sophie and Emilio from the Coburg Greek church, Sara Murdock of Pharmacy 777, local young mum Lyal, Rania and Casper from the Coburg Traders Association, local dad Alex, Geraldine from the Pentridge precinct, longtime local Paul Gavin, Anna-Maria about her elderly mother in Pascoe Vale South, longtime resident Francine, local principal Maria, Vince on the place-based approach we are adopting in Coburg, Anna about women’s safety and so many others.