Broome shire to tackle crime, poverty and substance abuse in new Community Safety Plan

West Australian

26-06-2025

The Shire of Broome is tackling crime, poverty and substance abuse head-on in its new Community Safety Plan for 2025 to 2029, advocating for an extensive range of services and programs to tackle the ongoing issues.
One of the shire's main objectives is to reduce use, harm and effects from alcohol and other drugs within the community and has laid out an extensive range of initiatives to do so.
The shire will advocate for the reintroduction of the cashless debit card for voluntary recipients, for the Mental Health Commission to provide a new sobering up shelter in a suitable location, to restrict access to legal forms of substances such as hand sanitiser, paint and glue and to expand the safe needle exchange and disposal program.
It will also collaborate with WA Country Health Service to promote safe needle disposal messages, advocate for, and conduct daily sweeps of known hotspot areas for discarded needles and advocate for funding for AOD services including rehabilitation and a new withdrawal centre.
It comes on the back of the shire's 2025 Community Safety Survey which found respondents main safety concerns were break-ins, alcohol and other drugs and disorderly conduct.
The survey also found 77 per cent of respondents felt substance abuse was the main contributor to their crime and safety concerns.
To address the issue the shire has also made enhancing law and order, and community safety another one of their objectives.
They will advocate for more police bike and foot patrols, grant funding for two Community Safety Officers to provide foot patrols over three years, partner with police to implement bike and scooter theft prevention initiatives and formalise a Memorandum of Understanding with WA Police for joint patrols targeting illegal drinking, camping, and itinerancy, with the potential to include Yawuru patrol services.
The shire is also looking to reduce domestic violence by supporting and promoting the DV Safe Phone program and supporting Marnja Jarndu Women's Refuge to advocate for funding to extend or build new facilities to deliver safe accommodation and support for women escaping domestic violence.
Another of the shire's main objectives through the plan is to expand youth diversion programs to reduce crime by advocating for further State Government funding to run the Nhurra buru Night Space beyond the initial trial period and the shire's A Sporting Chance and A Remote Chance programs.
Further initiatives and items the shire will advocate for can be found in the full Community Safety Plan 2025-2029 on the Shire of Broome's website.
The plan was put out for public comment, which has now finished and is planned to be an item at the July council meeting.