What Does a Safe Community Look Like?
Our community told us this is:
- Somewhere that is welcoming and inclusive
- Feeling safe and comfortable in public
- Preventing violence and crime
- A place where everyone is looking out for one another
How We Support Community Safety
Community safety is a shared responsibility across government, police, service providers, business and the community. Council plays a critical leadership role that is dependent on, and requires the support of partnerships and collaboration with all levels of government, agencies and members of the Brimbank community. Council’s approach and actions towards community safety will be driven by our Safe and Inclusive Brimbank 2020-2024 Strategy.
Safe and Inclusive Brimbank Strategy
The Safe and Inclusive Brimbank 2020-2024 Strategy (the Strategy) aims for Brimbank to be a welcoming and diverse community where people feel safe, included and able to contribute and participate.
The draft Strategy includes three priority areas:
- Stronger Communities;
- Safer Streets and Public Spaces; and
- Strategic Partnerships.
The new strategy follows on from the previous Brimbank Community Safety Strategy 2015-2019. You can read the latest Report Card (2018-2019) here.
Safety Partnerships
Council coordinates the strategic Safety and Wellbeing Partnership (SWP). The SWP is a joint Council and Victoria Police initiative that brings together key local stakeholders to build and maintain a safe and inclusive community and support health and wellbeing initiatives in Brimbank.
What Our Community Can Do
There are many ways we can feel safer and be inclusive.
Get Friendly
Knowing your neighbours is one of the best ways to improve safety and connection within your community. Knowing each other means we look out for each other. Consider hosting a neighbourhood event, or simply introduce yourself. More ideas are on our Neighbour Day page.
Get Reporting
Become the ‘eyes and ears’ of your community. Our Reporting an Issue: Contact Guide can help you identify what to report and who to contact.
It's important to always report:
- An emergency, by ringing 000 where life or injury is threatened.
- Any crime, or if you see something suspicious, by contacting Crime Stoppers Victoria Ph: 1800 333 000. Or, you can call the Police Assistance Line 13 14 44.
- A maintenance issue, e.g.: damaged footpaths; broken lights; dumped rubbish.
Note: Clamp Down on Hoon Driving includes more information on effectively reporting hoon activity.
Get Informed
Have you ever assessed the safety of your home or business? Check out these resources:
- Royal Children’s Hospital Safety Around the Home ;
- Victoria Police's Business Security Information eKit; Residential Information Kit; and Crime Prevention Fact Sheets with important tips to help prevent crime against yourself or your property.
- To access up to date crime statistics by location, visit the Crime Statistics Agency.
Get Active
The appearance of private buildings and property affects perceptions of safety. Make sure your property presents well through regular maintenance, cleaning, and litter removal. We also offer vouchers for graffiti removal supplies to assist you to remove graffiti from your private property. For further details, see the Graffiti Removal Assistance Program-Postcard