More than 100 people attended a community safety forum in Footscray on Thursday, demanding Maribyrnong council pause plans to use private security guards to patrol the Footscray CBD.
The August 14 forum was organised by Footscray Community Response, an organisation opposed to plans for a security crackdown in the CBD.
Those in attendance voted in favour of calling on council to pause the security program so it can conduct more community consultation and provide more evidence that it will be effective.
The security program, which allows for private security guards and council by-laws officers to conduct patrols in central Footscray, was endorsed by Maribyrnong council at at meeting last month.
Maribyrnong council did not respond to inquiries before deadline.
“There is a history in Maribyrnong of using by-laws in ways that harm vulnerable community members,” Footscray Community Response spokesperson and former Maribyrnong councillor, Jorge Jorquera told the forum.
“It’s not a question how ‘nice’ the security guards are, the overall model of using by-laws against vulnerable people is wrong.”
Mr Jorquera was joined by other guest speakers at the forum including South Sudan Child First Education executive director Malual Deng.
“Footscray is special to African communities,” Mr Deng told the forum.
“We want to be part of the solution. This place is our home.”
However another representative of the local African community claimed forum organisers cut her off when she spoke in support of more security in Footscray .
United Nicholson Street African Traders Association representative and local restaurant owner, Nagwa Yassin, said she was highlighting the safety threat posed to women running businesses along Nicholson Street from drunk and intoxicated men, when she was shut down.
“I did not get my message across,” Ms Yassin said.
“When you are representing an organisation you should be given enough time to speak. But because we were going against their argument they did not want to hear it.”
Mr Jorquera denied this, saying Ms Yassin was only cut off because she exceeded the three minute time limit afforded to all speakers from the floor.
Vision of the forum seen by Star Weekly confirmed this.
