Thursday, 14 November 2019

In reply to  Dr CUMMING (Western Metropolitan) (17 October 2019)

Mr CARROLL (Niddrie—Minister for Crime Prevention, Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice, Minister for Victim Support):

Every Victorian deserves to feel safe. The incident you outlined on 26 May 2019 is tragic and horrific, my thoughts are with the victim and their family.

All individuals who commit crimes such as these must be held accountable. If anyone has immediate concerns about the safety of themselves or others, or they see an offence in progress, the matter needs to be reported to Victoria Police through the emergency number ‘000’. Calls made to ‘000’ are processed and responded to by the nearest available police personnel.

Anyone who has experienced an event such as the one described in the question should contact the Victims of Crime Helpline to discuss support options that may be available. The Helpline provides free information and support to help people manage the effects of crime and provides guidance through the legal process. The Helpline is available seven days a week between 8am and 11pm and can be contacted via telephone on 1800 819 817, or via text on 0427 767 891.

There are a range of grants available through the Victorian Community Crime Prevention Program that provide funding for communities. The Public Safety Infrastructure Fund (PSIF) provides up to $250,000 for the development of public safety and security infrastructure to improve community safety, security and confidence in public places, which includes CCTV systems. Only Victorian councils can apply for funding through this program, however they may do so in conjunction with community organisations, including trader organisations, to improve safety in their local community. The government has invested more than $4 million in 31 projects incorporating CCTV in local communities.

A further grant program, the Community Safety Fund, is available to councils, not for profit groups and trader organisations, and provides grants of up to $25,000 to design and deliver education and awareness initiatives, including those focused on reducing the risk of thefts from businesses. While this program does not support the installation of CCTV, it does provide an opportunity to share information on the measures small business owners can take to protect themselves from crime. Both programs have closed for 2019-20, however future arrangements for these programs are currently being considered.

Additionally, the government is developing a new approach for crime prevention in Victoria and we are looking at ways to prevent more people from starting on the path to offending by addressing the drivers of crime. The crime prevention agenda will place community at the centre and develop hand-built solutions for local issues. This work is also being informed by a recently established Crime Prevention Taskforce which includes leaders from the business and industry sectors.