Hobart City Council Unveils New Public Safety Initiative to Tackle CBD Concerns
Hobart’s central business district is set to see a new wave of support with the introduction of a three-year trial of the Safe City Liaison Program. The initiative will deploy a trio of public safety monitors tasked with fostering stronger connections with local businesses and actively patrolling areas identified as “hot spots” for antisocial behaviour. These officers, while equipped with body-worn cameras, will operate without any policing powers, focusing instead on engagement and referral. Their patrols will primarily occur during standard business hours, from Monday to Friday.
The program received the green light at a recent Hobart City Council meeting, marking a significant step towards addressing a growing list of concerns within the city centre.
Key Responsibilities and Objectives
A comprehensive council report outlined the multifaceted roles of these new safety liaisons. Their core duties will include:
- Engaging with Businesses: Building rapport and understanding the unique challenges faced by retailers and other commercial entities in the CBD.
- Patrolling Community Safety “Hot Spots”: Identifying and monitoring areas where antisocial behaviour, vandalism, or other public order issues are more prevalent.
- Referring Vulnerable Individuals: Connecting people in need with appropriate external support services, such as social welfare agencies and mental health providers.
- Providing By-law Education: Informing the public and businesses about relevant council regulations and promoting compliance.
Crucially, the report emphasized that these officers will not possess any legal authority to enforce compliance. Their mandate is centred on proactive engagement and communication, rather than direct intervention or apprehension.
Alderman Louise Bloomfield underscored the program’s “preventive care” objective. “They do not have the right to apprehend or anything like that,” she explained, “what they have the ability to do is effectively liaise.” She further elaborated that if an incident like shoplifting were to occur, the liaison officers would immediately contact the police to ensure a swift response.
Business Voices: A Growing Need for Support
The impact of rising antisocial behaviour and shoplifting on local businesses is a significant concern. Fei Liu, the owner of a café located on the Hobart bus mall, shared her firsthand experience. Over the past two years, her business has been severely affected by these issues.
“We had two vending machines outside, but basically, I needed to call police every month as it was just attracting too many teenagers,” Ms Liu recounted. The situation became so untenable that she was forced to remove the vending machines, a decision that directly impacted her income.
To combat the daily occurrences of shoplifting, Ms Liu has invested in additional security cameras and increased staffing levels. She described instances where offenders would simply flee, sometimes even resorting to aggressive behaviour when confronted.
Ms Liu expressed her optimism about the new Safe City Liaison Program, seeing it as a valuable addition to the city’s safety measures. She believes these officers will offer a distinct type of support compared to traditional security guards. “When police come around it gets better, they’re not afraid of security…so if (these new officers) can do some other things than just the security for the bus or the mall,” she stated, highlighting the potential for a more comprehensive approach.
Complementing Existing Frameworks
The council report explicitly stated that the roles are designed to “complement traditional policing and security arrangements.” This means that any matters requiring escalation will be channelled through the established priority-based police response framework, ensuring that all public safety reports are handled efficiently.
A key aspect of the program’s funding is that it will not require additional financial outlay. The three positions will be filled by repurposing existing roles, with an allocated budget of $300,000 per year.
Addressing Persistent CBD Issues
Hobart’s CBD has been grappling with a range of persistent challenges, as highlighted in the council report. These include:
- Antisocial Behaviour: Disruptive conduct that impacts public spaces and the experience of residents and visitors.
- Youth-Related Incidents: Concerns surrounding the behaviour and engagement of young people in the city centre.
- Public Intoxication: Issues related to excessive alcohol consumption in public areas.
- Rough Sleeping Vulnerability: The complex needs of individuals experiencing homelessness and their impact on public spaces.
- Property Damage: Vandalism and other forms of damage to public and private property.
- Retailer Safety Concerns: Worries expressed by businesses about the safety of their staff and customers.
The report also noted that a shift towards “intelligence-led policing” has, in some instances, led to a reduced day-to-day police presence in the CBD. The Safe City Liaison Program aims to fill this void by providing a more visible and accessible point of contact.
“A core objective of the program is to support and reassure local businesses,” the report emphasised.
Ms Bloomfield confirmed that local retailers were actively involved in the Safer Hobart Alliance, an organisation that has lent its endorsement to the program. “It was to also address the fact that shoplifting was getting out of control and there were a lot of complaints about the youth in the city and things like that,” she said. She also acknowledged the increasing visibility of homelessness, stating, “Homelessness has become very much a very visual issue now, which we’re not used to as a city, and it’s basically making sure that all these, all these people are given the care that they need…it’s not about, it’s not about pushing them around or pushing them away.”
The program’s structure draws inspiration from the successful safe city model implemented by the City of Perth. The effectiveness of Hobart’s initiative will be rigorously evaluated based on measurable outcomes, including improvements in the perceived safety of the CBD, enhanced business confidence, and more effective management of low-level antisocial behaviour.
Concerns Raised by Councillors
While the program garnered significant support, it also faced some opposition. Councillor Ryan Possel voted against the motion, expressing reservations about the potential risks to the liaison officers. He argued that the assessment of risks had been inadequate, particularly concerning the officers’ training and the clarity of their operational scope.
“The risk of these individuals which we are putting them in, inadequately trained, inadequately qualified, with a very unclear scope on what they are meant to do and what they do when they get into trouble,” he stated. Councillor Possel raised a critical hypothetical scenario: “When someone pulls a knife, they’ve got to call 000 themselves…that is life-altering PTSD for that individual for which we are liable as a council. This is not a good proposal.”
Conversely, Councillor Bill Harvey highlighted the long-standing desire from businesses for council action on antisocial behaviour. “To have someone that they can talk to, that they can liaise with… I think is really important,” he commented. He reiterated the program’s non-confrontational nature, suggesting, “I think they are not there to confront people or step in between fights, they are there to observe or to talk it down.”
