Crime reduction and improvement in community safety are key priorities of the Town of Vincent and remain ever-present in the forefront of the community’s perception. Encouragingly, the latest statistics released from the Office of Prime Prevention support the fact that the Town of Vincent is, indeed, a safer place to live, work and recreate, with recorded decreases in most offences since 2003.
Whilst crime reduction within the Town cannot be solely attributed to the Safer Vincent Partnership, the effective and integrated working partnership the Town enjoys with key local agencies has paid a social dividend in contributing to a safer and healthier environment.
The Office of Crime Prevention prepares Community Safety and Crime Prevention Profiles for all local government areas in Western Australia. The analysis of the most recent Profile for the Town of Vincent reveals that, since 2001, Vincent has experienced decreasing trends in the rates for most offence categories. The rates of recorded crime in 2004 were lower than, or similar to, those in the rest of the region and the State for all offence categories, except vehicle theft and drug offences which were slightly higher. However, they still showed a reduction of 37% and 10% respectively on the 2003 rates.
The Town has a strong history of supporting and developing proactive crime prevention strategies. In 2005 the Town signed a partnership with the State Government's Office of Crime Prevention to develop a co-ordinated response to progressing crime prevention and safety within the Town. The partnership with the Office of Crime Prevention also facilitates $20,000 of funding available annually from the State Government to supplement local priority safety and crime prevention projects. With input from the Safer Vincent Crime Prevention Partnership and in consultation with the local community and agency stakeholders, the Town has developed the Town of Vincent Community Safety and Crime Prevention Plan 2007-2010. This is a strategic document which will guide the Town's actions in safety and crime prevention for the next two years. This document reflects a ‘whole of Town approach’ and maps all crime prevention and safety actions within the Town.
Click here for a copy of the Community Safety and Crime Prevention Plan.
Click here for a copy of the Draft Community Safety and Crime Prevention Plan Report.
Through the development of the Town of Vincent Crime Prevention and Safety Plan 2006-2009 the priority projects identified for 2007 are:
• Safety in Harmony Project
Priority project to develop safety networks and links in the multicultural community.
• Development of the Town's Safety Communication Strategy
Priority project to promote the Town’s positive position in safety and effectively communicate and make accessible information on safety and crime prevention.
Safer Vincent Crime Prevention Partnership
This Partnership, chaired by Mayor Nick Catania, meets monthly with key safety stakeholders in the Town including Police, business, seniors, youth and multicultural representatives. The Partnership is the main steering group behind the development of the Town of Vincent Crime Prevention and Safety Plan 2006-2009 and oversees its ongoing implementation, along with allocation of priority funding. The Safer Vincent Co-ordinator, together with the Partnership, has been working with community representatives from precinct groups, seniors' groups, businesses and Police to progress a variety of community initiatives and grant-funded programmes, including:
Child Restraint Checking
Vincent Light and Safe
Constable Care Programmes
Nyoongar Patrol Outreach Service
Vincent Accord
Parks Working Group
Business Beats
Safer Northbridge
Magenta Working Group
BackPack Safe
Western Suburbs Community Safety Co-ordinators
– assisting in the development of strategies for the whole region, not just Vincent.
Central Metropolitan Police Integration Committee
– to discuss and action crime prevention and policing issues within the metropolitan area, to foster a close and effective relationship with the Town and Police, and to deal with community concerns.
If you require any community safety advice or referral to community policing, please contact the Safer Vincent Co-ordinator on 9273 6032 or TTY 9273 6078.
Please check back regularly for future safety and crime prevention initiatives.
