Community research shows council’s security program is making Footscray community members less safe
New research undertaken by Footscray Community Response, a grassroots organisation opposed to punitive and policing solutions to problems of safety and so-called ‘antisocial behaviour’, shows that Maribyrnong Council’s security patrols program is making Footscray residents less safe and involves serious breaches of human rights and anti-discrimination laws.
The research recommends a fundamental rethink of the assumption that enforcement-based responses can reduce or prevent behaviours arising from structural inequalities like lack of housing, health services and a liveable income. Instead, the report urges Council to consider extensive global evidence showing that increased safety and amenity results from more equal and caring communities, where everyone’s basic needs are met and people feel valued.