Committee is resourced by the City of Whittlesea’s Community Safety Officer and is co-chaired by the Local Area Commander of Victoria Police and the Director Community Services of City of Whittlesea. The CS&CP Committee agencies represent a range of community settings and population groups and work across the framework of crime prevention interventions. Members of the CS&CP Committee: City of Whittlesea (Aged and Disability, Youth Services, Community Inclusion, Parks and Open Space, Jobs and Investment, Community Wellbeing, Local Laws) Department of Justice and Regulation Hume Whittlesea Local Learning and Employment Network Neighbourhood Watch Northern Hospital Plenty Valley Community Health Uniting Care ReGen Victoria Police Whittlesea Community Connections Support and Advocacy Service The City of Whittlesea developed this Strategy in partnership with the CS&CP Committee through a serious of facilitated workshops exploring evidence, local research and data. Themes were identified and tailored actions were developed to address the community safety and crime prevention needs identified. Early on in these workshops the CS&CP Committee identified extensive work being undertaken that is locally focussed on family violence, including: the Whittlesea CALD Communities Family Violence Project the ‘Hamdel Project’ – a prevention project working with the Iranian community City of Whittlesea’s Family Violence and Gender Equity Strategies Other agency’s strategies and plans the work of specialist family violence services, Victoria Police and many other agencies The CS&CP Committee therefore concluded that this Strategy would not seek to include any additional actions to address family violence and as such includes a reference to implementation of the City of Whittlesea Family Violence Strategy. The Strategy will address engagement in crime and negative community perceptions of safety in partnership with the CS&CP Committee. Further, during development of this Strategy, Council resolved to establish a Road Safety Committee and develop a Road Safety Strategy. As such, the CS&CP Committee concluded that particular action to address road safety issues and crime would be articulated through the Road Safety Strategy and are therefore not included in this Strategy. This is a Council Strategy articulates the important work of Council but particularly emphasises the partnerships and collaboration required to undertake
Crime Prevention Approach Description Community Safety and Crime Prevention Committee agency Information Gathering & Coordination identification, planning, collaboration, consultation, data and evidence gathering to inform local, tailored approaches All Criminal Justice Prevention Traditional deterrence, incarceration and rehabilitation strategies within a law enforcement framework Victoria Police Department of Justice and Regulation Situational Prevention Improvements to physical environment - Prevention Through Environmental Design, surveillance, 'target hardening'; strategies to increase the risk of offending behaviour City of Whittlesea Victoria Police Social Prevention Strategies designed to change social conditions that influence offending - social and economic drivers, strengthening community and social connection, improving education and employment opportunities; implementation of strategies aimed at preventing racism City of Whittlesea Hume Whittlesea Local Learning and Employment Network Plenty Valley Community Health Whittlesea Community Connections Developmental Prevention Intervening early to reduce risk factors and increase protective factors that affect the development of offending behaviour; prevention and early intervention programs, social support programs City of Whittlesea Northern Hospital Plenty Valley Community Health Uniting Care ReGen Youth Support and Advocacy Service Snapshot of local data Perceptions of safety Perceptions of neighbourhood safety are linked with health outcomes. When individuals perceive their neighbourhood as unsafe they are less likely to engage in outdoor activities and exercise and are more likely to experience increased anxiety, poor health outcomes and poor self-rated health. Conversely, when individuals feel
Goal 7: from illicit drugs are minimised Illicit drugs Rationale: like alcohol, illicit drug use is a significant factor in many crimes; harms from illicit drug use (either their own use or someone else’s) directly impacts residents’ health, wellbeing and safety and local crime data What success will look like over time: Harms from illicit drugs are minimised Tools to measure progress: ‘AOD Stats’ – Turning Point, YSAS and ReGen data and trends Goal 8: Women and children live free from family violence Family violence Rationale: local family violence rates are higher than the State and many other municipalities; family violence is a contributor to other crimes and growing up within family violence significantly impacts children and young people’s development What success will look like over time: Improved understanding and awareness of family violence, improved attitudes to gender equity Tools to measure progress: Reports from City of Whittlesea Family Violence Strategy, Reports from City of Whittlesea Gender Equity Strategy, National Community Attitudes Survey Goal 9: Employment programs are provided for key population groups Theme: Education and employment Rationale: local data outlines unemployment and disengagement; education and employment are key protective factors associated with crime What success will look like over time: increased number of programs reaching residents who experience significant barriers to employment pathways Tools to measure progress: number of programs available, reports from City of Whittlesea Jobs and Investment Strategy