A safety committee made up of Hobsons Bay councillors and police has been revived to combat the rising crime rate in the municipality.
A proposal by police to re-establish the Hobsons Bay Local Safety Committee (LSC), after a two year hiatus, was endorsed at a council meeting on Tuesday, April 29.
Hobsons Bay mayor Daria Kellander will co-chair the new LSC, while council staff will also be part of the committee which will meet quarterly from July.
A previous version of the committee began in 2022, but concluded during 2023.
Crime surged across Hobsons Bay last year, with recorded offences rising by more than 30 per cent in the 12 months to December 2024.
Speaking in support of the motion at Tuesday night’s meeting, councillor Lisa Bentley noted there had been another arson attack at a Williamstown ice cream shop earlier that morning, the fourth in less than two years.
“It’s clear that our community needs a lot of safety and security,” Cr Bentley said.
Cr Kristin Bishop noted that police approached the council about re-establishing the safety committee.
“This is a really important way that we can have a voice and that we can engage (on the issue of community safety),” said Cr Bishop of council’s role on the LSC .
Cr Diana Grima welcomed the return of the committee, saying it was overdue.
“I’ve been pushing for it for a number of years,” she said.
The LSC will add to existing collaborations between council and police that occur on a day to day basis.
Victoria Police were contacted for comment.
