Central Geelong Mall: A safe space for everyone

Many people use the Central Geelong Mall for many different reasons: to meet and hang-out with friends, to access the shops in and around Market Square, to sit and eat, wait for buses, listen to buskers or whatever else it is that brings people into a public space.

Everyone experiences the mall in different ways depending on their age, gender and cultural background. Everyone has the right to be in the mall and to feel safe and comfortable. The fact is many people do not feel safe due to the mall’s reputation as a crime hotspot. As the following shows however, this reputation is unsubstantiated.

Community concern / In fact, Crime Statistics Agency data show
  1. Crime is getting worse in the mall.
/ Crime rates have steadily decreased over the past four years. In 2014, criminal offences in the mall totalled 36 compared to 50 in 2010.
  1. Assaults in the mall are at a record high.
/ There has been no major increase in assaults, which accounts for low numbers remaining stable over the last four years.

At the same time, according to Victoria Police call data calls for police assistance (in the mall and surrounds) have reduced substantially over the last four years, from 2.44% of Geelong’s total calls in 2010 to 0.65% in 2014.

Addressing people’s fears

The past three years have seen several studies completed in Geelong to ascertain people’s perceptions of the mall. These include:

  • Central Geelong Presentation Survey, City of Greater Geelong 2014
  • Little Malop Street Central Traders and Community Safety Survey, Victoria Police Geelong 2014
  • Little Malop Street Initiative, St Laurence Community Services and City of Greater Geelong 2012

Together, these studies confirm that unruly behaviour (eg language, fighting, smoking, drunkenness and large groups) is the biggest factor in shaping how safe people feel. Other influences include crime control measures, police/security presence, CCTV and physical elements such as lighting and hidden spaces, particularly at night. The way the media portrays the mall also has a strong influence.

This data has informed the development of a set of actions focused on addressing people’s fears by working together on a safe space for everyone.

Developingan integrated response

In January 2015, the Minister for Police visited Geelong to meet with local stakeholders to discuss community concerns about the mall, following an incident widely reported by local and national media.

This led to a G21 Regional Justice Reference Group workshop in mid-February – involving state and local government representatives, community leaders, service agencies and other key stakeholders – to develop an integrated response. Outcomes included establishing the G21 Regional Justice Reference Group subcommittee to work together on devising a set of actions to address people’s fears about the mall.

Chaired by the Department of Justice and Regulation, the subcommittee brings together key people from Victorian Government departments (Education and Training, Health and Human Services,Public Transport Victoria), Victoria Police, City of Greater Geelong, G21 Geelong Region Alliance and the youth services sector.These parties support and collaborate witheach other to deliver the actions set out in this document.

Working concurrently with the subcommittee is the Central Geelong Task Force, which has been established to implement the actions contained in the Central Geelong Action Plan. This plan is a broader, longer-term strategy targeted at increasing thelevel of activity, prosperity and vitality of Central Geelong.

Initiated by the City of Greater Geelong, theCentral Geelong Action Plan’s development brought together the former Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure, Regional Development Victoria, VicRoads, Deakin University and leading planning and property consultants.

Its implementation will have a positive impact on the CBD as a whole, ensuring there are more people in the CBD for more of the time. In achieving this goal, the delivery of initiatives under the Central Geelong Action Plan will have a positiveeffect on the mall.

Coordinated action across three areas for the mall

In developing the following actions, the subcommittee’s focus is on addressing concerns regarding the mall in three key areas: engage people, physical environment and crime control.

Engage people
Current actions
  • Actively engage young people through existing networks and activities to develop programs as an immediate response.
  • Use existing forums (eg combined schools and youth services) to identify strategies to address issues in the mall via schools, youth services and other relevant agencies.
  • Monitor Victoria Police data as the basis for implementing proactive responses to emerging issues, including the use of effective youth outreach programs.

Short-term actions (next one to six months)
  • Introduce the #SoYouKnowGeelong initiative focused on engaging young people, other mall users and local traders to negotiate and promote socially appropriate behaviours for shared use of the mall. Activities include listening posts, community forums, Street Surfer Bus, ‘So You Know Geelong’ wall and social media.
  • Reactivate the Building Opportunities in Barwon partnership – involving Department of Health and Human Services, BATForce, Glastonbury, MacKillop, Headspace and other youth agencies – to facilitate access to education and employment activities for vulnerable young people, including those who use the mall.
  • Promote young people’s characteristics and strengths to adults via the current Streetface initiative and an information session about what it means to be a young person growing up with a lens always on you.
  • Conduct forums with traders and involve them in developing and implementing viable solutions, including activating the space.
  • Focus Place Management initiatives to the mall and surrounds to address trader and public needs.
  • Commence the Central Geelong Action Plan’s ‘City Heart’ initiative to engage the community around what makes a vibrant public space and where it should be located.

Address the physical environment
Current actions
  • Undertake a Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) audit to identify physical improvements in the mall.
  • Provide more frequent and improved scheduling of bus services through the Moorabool Street transport hub to reduce waiting times and improve people movement.
  • Increase community usage of the mall through the ongoing programming and promotion of diverse events (eg music performers, visual artists, street arts workshops, Food Truck Fridays, commercial promotions, holiday activities).

Short-term actions (next one to six months)
  • Liaise with local traders and other stakeholders about the recommendations from the CPTED audit and seek participation in problem solving.

Longer-term actions
  • Implement CPTED principles as part of future physical improvements to the mall and throughout the CBD, including buildings, streets and other public spaces.

Crime control
Current actions
  • Implement an integrated approach to boost crime control measures (egsafety audits, CCTV monitoring, uniform or plain clothes patrols including foot patrols) in the CBD and wider Geelong area to improve safety perceptions, reduce offences and increase offender identification.
  • Maintain Victoria Police presence at peak periods and in response to emerging issues.
  • Continue regular meetings between Victoria Police Youth Response Task Force Unit, Department of Health and Human Services, and service providers to develop strategies to respond to children at risk, including those who frequent the mall.

Short-term actions (next one to six months)
  • Review the Little Malop Street Central High Risk Community Location Plan and work with the Geelong Local Safety Committee to respond to emerging issues.
  • Conduct further consultation with mall user groups, includingtraders,to identify emerging issues and enable the plan to be updated to incorporate a more contemporary and integrated approach in the CBD.

Engaging others

Engaging young people, traders, mall users, the community and stakeholders is a critical component of many of the actions. Key community engagement activities due to be implemented over the next six months include:

  • listening posts to seek mall users’ ideas about socially appropriate behaviours in the mall
  • a negotiation process involving young people, traders and other mall users in mediating conflicts between stakeholders
  • using the Street Surfer Bus as a space for young people to be involved in #SoYouKnowGeelong, and
  • workshops with traders and other stakeholders through the Geelong Chamber of Commerce to seek their input to viable solutions, including those related to activating the space.

Monitoring progress

The subcommittee will continue to meet to monitor implementation of the actions and review progress.

More information

FINAL24/10/2018