Melbourne’s Lord Mayor Nick Reece has admitted the city has a “hell of a lot more work to do” to tackle growing safety concerns, as authorities face mounting pressure to crack down on a distrubing wave of attacks.
Reece said the City of Melbourne is introducing a new security force on the streets, doubling its CCTV netowork and working with Victoria Police to increase patrols following a series of violent incidents across the CBD.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Melbourne CBD safety crisis after delivery driver killing
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It comes after father-of-two Jianming Feng was allegedly stabbed to death while making a delivery run in the city on Friday evening.
On Sunrise, Reece said the fatal stabbing had “shocked” the community, with more than 1000 people attending a candlelight vigil at the State Library on Saturday night.
He said the community was demanding stronger action to prevent further violence.
More than 1000 people attended a candlelight vigil at the State Library on Saturday night after father-of-two Jianming Feng was allegedly stabbed to death. Credit: Sunrise
Major security crackdown unveiled
Reece said the council was taking “extraordinary efforts” to improve safety, including introducing a new force of community safety officers to patrol the streets.
“This has never been done anywhere in Australia. It’s a security force, a safety force on the street, in uniform, employed by the City of Melbourne,” he said.
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The council has also doubled the number of CCTV cameras across the city to 600, with the network monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Reece said he had been working closely with Victoria Police and had been informed there would be increased police patrols across the city.
He flagged plans for police graduates to undertake rotations through the CBD as more officers emerge from the academy.
“That importantly will create a very visible safety police presence in our city,” he said.
Lord Mayor responds to Melbourne safety fears
Despite concerns about growing crime, Reece said he does consider Melbourne “a safe city”.
“Certainly relative to other cities around the world,” he said.
“In fact, we’ve seen the crime rate drop by about 6 per cent in the last year, and that was on top of about 5 per cent the previous year. So, things are heading in the right direction here in Melbourne.”
However, he acknowledged the latest attacks had highlighted the need for further action.
“We’ve still got a hell of a lot more work to do,” he said.
His comments come amid growing concerns about a series of violent incidents in Melbourne’s CBD, with seven random attacks reported across the city centre in the past four months.
Reece said concerns about violence could also have serious consequences for local businesses, particularly if people became reluctant to visit the CBD.
“There’s now more people in the city. That’s why it’s more important than ever before that we make sure the city is safe, because if people don’t feel safe coming into the city, they’re not going to come in, are they?” he said.
Reece said the council was also eager to see state government reforms around bail laws and police recruitment translate into improved safety on the streets.
Fresh calls for delivery rider protections
Reece also raised concerns about the working conditions of delivery riders following Feng’s death, saying the tragedy had highlighted the need for better worker protections.
“These are the people who deliver our meals, our parcels. They’re out there seven days a week, rain or hail or shine. Pay and conditions is not great,” he said.
He said he wanted to work with the delivery industry and federal government to ensure workers received better pay and appropriate safety measures.
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