Community Safety: A New Frontier

Often security leaders are engaged to provide advice on community safety strategies. Although outside the typical role of a security advisor, the contributions can be beneficial within a community safety strategy.

Methods for community safety involve the introduction of strategies to prevent, reduce and contain social, environmental and intimidatory factors (whether actual or perceived) that affect people’s rights to exist safely without fear from crime, disorder, danger, injury or harm.

Careful thought and planning is essential for introducing any community safety strategy as there is a body of evidence disclosing risks associated with becoming involved in crime (as perpetrator or victim) increase where there are high levels of social exclusion or a lack of social cohesion (Tonry and Farrington 1995).

Of course, advice must be based upon a situational assessment of risk for the relevant area.

The next annual community safety conference will be held in 2017.  ASIS Victoria Chapter will continue as a contributor to this conference.