Making a safer community doesn't just mean resolving security issues as they occur - it also involves proactive planning to create improved public spaces and streets. The City of Melville is constantly working to plan and implement safety initiatives that will make our community an even better place to live. Improved lighting at bus stops and pedestrian ways, all night street lighting and safer walkways are just a few of the new initiatives and plans afoot for the future.

How did the service start?

In December 2004 the City of Melville began a joint service to the City of Cockburn to provide its resident with a Community Safety & Security Service. The service was established in response to community demand and has continued to evolve and improve.

The CSS operates in 3 zones in the City of Melville and 4 zones in the City of Cockburn. The aim is to create a safer, more secure community through 24 hours a day, seven days a week surveillance and liaison service.

The CSS, which supports – not replaces – the WA Police Service, comprises several staff on duty at any one time conducting patrols in clearly marked vehicles.

Acting in coordination with the Police Service, Rangers and other City of Melville staff, the primary role of the Service is to observe, report and monitor anti-social behaviour and any issues of safety and security within the community.

Patrolling the streets

The CSS provides a highly visible patrolling service that observes and reports. A Global Positioning System in each vehicle assists in conducting safety checks of CSS Officers and ensuring good coverage of patrols in the streets of the City of Melville.

Each Zone in the City of Melville has a dedicated CSS officer who is provided with back up support by a roaming officer and a team leader when the situation so demands.

Patrols target areas of concern within each designated operational zone but are also random in nature when not responding to specific calls.

What does the CSS do?

CSS Officers attend over 200 incidents per week. The CSS enables residents to call for checks of minor or suspicious activity that may not require police attendance, and for the CSS to intervene rather than the resident. Contact the CSS on 1300 653 643. However, Police should always be called in life threatening or serious circumstances on 131 444.

CSS Officers assist residents with a wide range of issues including:

• Anti-social behaviour eg. disorderly conduct of youths, loitering, vandalism, street or park drinking
• Noisy parties on private property or council buildings
• Building security alarms eg. council building, homes (observation role only as private security attends)
• Crime eg. thefts, break-ins at homes, robbery of shops
• Suspicious activity eg. people or vehicles
• Graffiti on property eg. council buildings, fences, private property
• Safety eg. road crash, flooding late at night
• Extra patrols of the front of properties whilst residents are on holidays or away on business

CSS Officers complete reports of graffiti and other damage and faults so that the City of Melville can make timely arrangements to have this damage cleared or problems fixed eg. replace street signs and lights. The CSS respond to calls for assistance when other City of Melville services are not available such as late at night (eg. flooding).

The CSS provides daily information and meets regularly with the police. This provides a forum for exchange of information. Incidents requiring attention are also communicated to other appropriate government authorities. The CSS officers are licensed security officers and do not have Police powers or the authority of state government agencies.