Third Melbourne council to hire private security guards as ‘safety issues at their worst level'
After an hour-long debate, Maribyrnong council voted on Tuesday night to support hiring guards to patrol central Footscray after a spate of violent incidents, including an alleged murder in the Nicholson Street mall and the fatal police shooting of a homeless man.
The six-month trial is expected to begin in August and would cost ratepayers up to $100,000 for two security officers for 24 hours a week.
The decision follows a similar move at Melbourne City Council, which last month made its CBD security guard scheme permanent after a three-month pilot. The scheme costs $2 million for 11 guards per year.
Wyndham City Council, in the outer west, also voted last month to pay $372,000 for private security to patrol the streets of Truganina in a 12-month trial.
Security guards' powers are limited to citizen's arrests as they are unable to use force, but councils argue that they create a passive safety presence while accompanying the council's local law officers, who enforce on-street behavioural issues such as public nuisance and alcohol consumption.
Security guard patrols are also increasingly being paid for by private operators, such as at housing estates in Melbourne's outer suburbs to combat theft and violence and Jewish schools and communities fearing antisemitic attacks.
Opposition Leader Brad Battin blamed the government for fuelling a trend of local councils turning to private security to help their communities feel safe, which is costing ratepayers.
'When local councils are forced to step in and fund private security to fill the gaps, it's a clear sign that the Labor government has failed to deliver on one of its most basic responsibilities: keeping Victorians safe,' Battin said.
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