Goya Dmytryshchak
Maribyrnong council is one of 20 Victorian municipalities participating in an online project where women and gender-diverse people may identify public areas where they feel unsafe.
The YourGround crowd-mapping website has been designed by CrowdSpot in collaboration with Monash University’s XYX Lab.
Along with Maribyrnong, councils including Wyndham and Greater Geelong are supporting the project, which enables community members to share locations they feel uneasy, scared and unwelcome or happy, safe and included.
Crime rose by 2.8 per cent in Maribyrnong and fell by 6.3 per cent in Hobsons Bay last year, the latest Crime Statistics Agency data shows.
There were 9158 recorded offences in Maribyrnong and 5828 in Hobsons Bay.
A Victoria Police spokesperson said its organisation used best-practice, evidence-based approaches to gather intelligence informing how and where police are tasked to prevent, deter and detect crime.
“Everyone in the community has the right to feel safe, and be safe,” the spokesperson said.
“Maribyrnong and Hobsons Bay police are on duty at all times of the day and night to provide a visible presence to detect and deter crime, and provide an agile response to any incidents that occur.
“Local transit police officers and Protective Services Officers provide a highly visible presence on the local train network and at public transport hubs to detect and deter crime from these areas.
“Officers are proactively working with local shopping strips, gymnasiums, fitness centres, and local councils to maximise public safety, and boost crime prevention measures to further deter criminal activity.
“Victoria Police also works with partner agencies at a state-wide level, including the Department of Justice and Community Safety to further support safety and crime reduction.”
Visit the website at yourground.org
