The Economist Intelligence Unit1, part of the Worldwide Cost of Living survey, surveyed cities based on 30 factors such as healthcare, culture and environment, and education and personal safety.

The top 10 most liveable cities of the 140 cities surveyed, as ranked by The Economist Intelligence Unit in 2010 were:

1. Vancouver, Canada
2. Melbourne, Australia
3. Vienna, Austria
4. Toronto, Canada
5. Calgary, Canada
6. Helsinki, Finland
7. Sydney, Australia
8. (equal) Perth, Australia
9. (equal) Adelaide, Australia
10. Auckland, New Zealand

The ranking scored each city from 0-100 on 30 factors spread across five areas: stability, health care, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure. These numbers were then weighted and combined to produce an overall figure.

Having four Australian cities in the top 10 is a testament to the Australian ‘way of life’, however to maintain such a privileged status, cities must continue to keep up the fight in all areas forming the basis of the assessment. Security underpins each of the five reviewed and scored areas of stability, health care, culture and environment, education and infrastructure.

A surprise to many in the international arena, the liveable rankings placed London at 54 and New York at 56, however a different survey2 with a focus of the greatest city (a city with a ‘buzz’), placed London and New York as the two greatest cities in the world. Of note Sydney achieved equal 9th of the 75 cities surveyed. When we compare differences in the surveys, we recognise that London and New York scored low in The Economist Intelligence Unit survey in their “stability” scores. “Stability” reflects residents’ fear of terror, crime and conflict, and it was recognised that no city in the top 50 got within ten points of New York’s score of 70.

So for our stable cities of Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Adelaide who achieved a top 10 ranking, do the residents feel more comfortable in their environment?

Not according to our daily papers who bring stories of street violence, gangs, home invasions, corruption, manipulated crime figures, public transport and transit problems and the all too regular incidents at our clubs and pubs. Although we do recognise that we are a lucky country when comparing what is recognised as terror activity.

No two cities in developing a ‘safe city’ are identical especially when responding to local conditions and analysis of incidents etc. We do recognise a common thread in achieving a safe city and that is in cooperation between all stakeholders. Be it a city council, police, private security, welfare organisations and commercial operators within our entertainment precincts, successful outcomes are not achievable without purpose, planning, and partnerships.

Many stakeholders are members of industry associations or professional bodies who have a responsibility to their members to facilitate representation in partnering with government, police and local councils in providing a more stable environment and safer place to live.

The Australian Security Industry Association Limited (ASIAL)3 is one such body. ASIAL is the peak national body for the Australian Security Industry. Established in 1969, ASIAL represents approximately 85 per cent of the security industry in Australia who employ in excess of 140,000 people who can play a partnering role in maintaining safe cities. ASIAL naturally brings to the table a security approach. Some cities will have an emphasis on a CCTV network and other technology and the sharing of that technology with stakeholders and some will utilise the eyes and ears of the human resources at the coalface to achieve outcomes. To create a ‘stable’ environment takes many and varied approaches. One such program has been established in conjunction with the South Australian Police and the Private Security Industry. Titled, ‘Operation Griffin’, and based on the London model, ASIAL sponsored international speakers to come to Australia to present their success stories and encourage development of similar programs. The SA program is recognising success and in turn developing a culture of sustainability. See breakout box.

South Australian Police – Community Safety Model
In July 2010, the South Australia Police implemented a state-wide community safety model with the private security industry to address security and community safety issues. The project was based on the United Kingdom Project Griffin and was developed to enhance police and private security partnerships based on the key elements of awareness training, information sharing, and observing and reporting expectations relating to community safety and counter-terrorism.

As a cooperative model, Project Griffin is an example of a stronger partnership approach between the private security industry and police to general crime prevention – a resource that is well placed to act as ‘eyes and ears’ for any suspicious activity in the community.

The key aims of the South Australia approach is to ensure the focus remains on preventing crime through partnerships and working together.

Although the British model of Project Griffin had an initial emphasis on counter-terrorism issues within the City London only, the South Australian model has been adapted to engage the private security industry in the broader aspect of community safety and crime prevention and has been rolled out across the state.

The South Australia Police, in consultation with the private security sector, adopted a state-wide model of police and private security interaction in order to encourage the private security industry to work in partnership with the police to deter, disrupt and support pro-active operations regarding community safety issues including general crime and terrorism related activity.

The success of Project Griffin relies on building relationships and sharing information between the private security industry and police. This engages and empowers participants, enabling them to become a highly-effective part of the extended crime reduction network.

The South Australian model engages the private security industry in partnerships based on the key elements of awareness training, information sharing and observe and report expectations relating to community safety and counter terrorism.

The main strand of the South Australian model is about the police sharing local information with key trusted partners in the community, namely the private security industry, by providing input through appropriate training and regular contacts in respect to recent and current crime trends, issues and forthcoming events.

The concept aims to train the private security industry in various disciplines so that they are better equipped to be of assistance to police in times of crises – an effective crime reduction strategy to ensure the safety of the community. It educates members of the private security industry, through ‘awareness training days’, provides an opt-in registration process and has clear boundaries surrounding the use and deployment of those members of the security industry that have opted in. This approach to wider community safety issues takes advantage of the growth in the numbers of the private security industry operatives and is an example of a stronger and effective partnership approach to general crime prevention.

The South Australian model of Project Griffin aims to reduce crime by:

• Engaging the ‘guardians’;
• Establishing networks;
• Target hardening;
• Increasing the likelihood of detection;
• Reducing criminal opportunity; and
• Maximising strategic alliances.

The key to crime prevention is strong links between police and the community including private security providers. The latter, as an industry, are in a unique position to hear something, see something and then say something. Project Griffin, through the broad awareness training program provided by police, places the private security industry in an even better position to hear something, see something and then say something.

The strong partnership approach of the South Australian model has been successful in building better relationships with the private security industry thereby empowering and engaging participants to become a highly effective part of the extended crime prevention network within the community.

The South Australian model has not only combined many of the elements of the British model of Project Griffin but has expanded the initiative as a whole-of-state cooperative model to include all police Local Service Areas and all sectors of the private security industry, through information sharing, in preventing crime and disorder – not just terrorism related activity - within the community.

As indicated other programs rely more on technology and without the investment and development of new technology, Australian cities would struggle to achieve world recognition of ‘safe cities’. Australian security clients continue to embrace leading edge technology to support their organisations in providing a safe and secure workplace. That safe and secure environment is now expected in our cities and the demand on Governments, Police and Local Governments to provide that safe and secure environment requires significant partnering with the private security industry.

One of the most discussed technological devices has been the use of security or closed-circuit television (CCTV) to provide law enforcement and security personnel with better visibility throughout their facilities. As a benchmark it is estimated that there are at least 500,000 live CCTV cameras in Britain today, and a person walking the streets of London can expect to be filmed dozens of times each day.

Whilst the cameras are useful in live identification, they also play an important role for the investigator following an event. Significant investment is made on camera installation however one must also invest in the back end of monitoring the cameras, recording the footage and making the video available on a compatible and universal platform for law enforcement agencies when and where appropriate.

ASIAL is a leader in this area and supports standards that require all monitoring stations be suitably accredited and operate in a professional manner with procedures to support community expectations in the operations of such surveillance devices. When selecting an organisation to monitor alarm and security surveillance devices, one should confirm that the monitoring company is appropriately licensed and the monitoring centre is certified to the Australian Standards 2201.2-2004 (Intruder Alarm Systems – Central Stations). ASIAL provides a public list of monitoring centres that have been certified through the Associations process.4

The monitoring of electronic security equipment, CCTV presents a challenge for organisations not only in the selection of quality equipment and its operation but also the legislative requirements and privacy issues. As with security, there is no uniform national legislation covering CCTV and the associated privacy issues. The uncertainty of operational accountability and level of public intrusiveness exercised by private organisations operating CCTV continues to attract public and government interest. Several publications provide guidance and information regarding the issues surrounding the use of CCTV.5

Despite concerns over the use of CCTV, its use in Australia is now widespread with significant public support when the value of CCTV is demonstrated as a means of crime prevention and as a proactive security measure.

In Victoria the Melbourne City council has been proactive in the development of CCTV programs and partners with several private security operators in the implementation of security surveillance and response measures.

One program has been the trialling of CCTV patrol vehicles. Two vehicles were equipped with 360 degree CCTV cameras, with footage available in real time and recorded and made available for investigative purposes. See breakout box detailing Council comments.

Melbourne City Council trials CCTV patrol vehicles to enhance city safety
Two security vehicles that have been fitted with 360 degree CCTV surveillance cameras will patrol city hot-spots over a six-month trial period.

Lord Mayor Robert Doyle said the surveillance cars would record in real time, with footage downloaded at the end of each shift to Council’s security control room to be accessed later if required.

“These vehicles will be valuable tools, acting as visual deterrents and assisting in the detection of street crime, violence, crowd numbers and contributing to the Council’s increasing arsenal in addressing city safety,” the Lord Mayor said.

“They will operate on Friday and Saturday nights between 10pm and 6am, and will complement the additional 31 safe city cameras, which brought our total in the CBD to 54.

“These surveillance vehicles will be instantly recognisable. The CCTV cameras will have a 360 degree view of the street and surrounds for the car crews and our camera operators to observe and record activities in selected areas of the city.

“While the vehicles will patrol the whole CBD, they can be used in the known hot spot areas where necessary and areas of the city where we don’t currently have CCTV such as Docklands and Southbank. The beauty of these cars is that they can be called to certain areas if it is felt there is a need to provide extra surveillance resources.

“The six-month trial will cost $150,000. I make no apologies for the cost – it is about creating a safer environment and sending a clear message that we are doing all we can to address the issue of city safety.

“If this latest initiative improves safety in the CBD by helping innocent law abiding citizens feel safer and assist in detecting the minority who are intent on committing crime, it is a small price to pay”, he said.

The Lord Mayor said there was no doubting the success of Council’s CCTV program in terms of making the city’s streets safer. More than 1000 on-the-spot arrests had been made by Victoria Police in the last two years alone as a result of footage captured and provided to police.

“Council thoroughly considered the privacy issues surrounding the trialling of these CCTV cars and is satisfied that the initiative is within the remit of local government and does not breach the Privacy Act.

“All recorded vision will be strictly managed in accordance with Council’s current safe city camera usage protocols, to ensure compliance with privacy provisions.”

The Lord Mayor said the program would be evaluated after six months, and if the trial was deemed successful, funding would be sought through Council’s budget process to have them permanently operational.

“City safety remains a major priority and challenge for Council, and our cameras program forms just one part of a suite of responses, including safe city taxi ranks, improved city lighting, improvements to safety through urban design, and improved management of licensed venues,” he said.

“Our approach will continue to be to work collaboratively with the relevant agencies, particularly Victoria Police, to ensure that we can provide a safe environment, reduce crime levels and help detect crime in Melbourne.”

Privacy issues in the use of security technology are and should be a priority concern for society. ASIAL encourages the selection of suitably qualified and licensed security operators. The association’s slogan of ‘think security – think ASIAL’ continues to reinforce the need to engage professional security providers.

Although not a national requirement, the majority of jurisdictions require security providers, advisers, security sales people and technicians responsible for installation of electronic security equipment to be licensed. ASIAL provides a public search database for providers of security services. The corporate member database can search by services offered, State/Territory and region. The search service is found at http://www.asial.com.au/FindASecurityProvider. Being a ‘safe city’ is not just a capital city CBD requirement. New South Wales has responded with targeted safe security programs in several inner suburban areas including Redfern and Glebe. The City of Sydney recognised that crime in Glebe was a genuine community concern and worked with a range of groups and individuals in forming genuine partnerships and developing compassionate and innovative solutions to the community safety needs. The City recognised that there is no “one size fits all” solution to the complex causes of crime and anti-social behaviour. Accordingly the City focused its resources into preventing crime from occurring in the first place. See Breakout box relating to aspects of the City of Sydney’s Glebe Plan.

“The Glebe Community Safety Plan 2009-2012, the first of its kind for the area, is a three-year strategy, which recognises the considerable strengths of stakeholders and the community and its ability to work together in developing local solutions to its own unique crime and safety problems.

The City of Sydney has been committed to a crime prevention approach that: –

• Delivers a measurable reduction in crime
  
• Improves quality of life for all members of the City community
  
• Delivers best practice, evidence-based and economically sustainable solutions that provide the greatest benefit to all members of the City community
  
• Works in partnership, and in meaningful consultation with other levels of government, business and residential communities
  
• Includes an active advocacy role that promotes comprehensive and coordinated public policy responses to crime
  
• Recognises that crime and the causes of crime are complex and require multi-faceted strategies which address the needs of specific locations and target groups
  
• Recognises the need for primary prevention and early intervention.
  
• Respects the right of all community members to use public spaces
  

The Sydney city council identifies the key to success for the Glebe Community Safety Plan will be achieving broad agreement of the need to work cooperatively. Crime and safety issues are complex, interdependent and embrace the activities of every group and individual with a stake in the community. They reflect that the safest communities are not those with the most police and prisons, but those with the strongest community structures, including cohesive families and socialisation and economic opportunities.

A central theme of this plan is therefore shared responsibility, that we all have a role to play in building effective partnerships to meet the emerging challenges in community safety.”

Security providers as part of the community play an important part in the cooperative approach and partnering with the community in providing a safer environment.

The Redfern-Waterloo Community Safety Plan was an endorsed Council program and tackled the underlying causes of crime through community strengthening activities and the prevention of community harm. The Redfern-Waterloo Community Safety Taskforce, a forum that included a broad cross section of Government and Non-Government organisations as well as residents and local businesses, put the plan together. It recognised that the key to creating safer communities was to work together on a range of identified issues in making communities safer places to live, work and visit.

Although agencies are aware that much of the challenge continues, the Redfern-Waterloo Community Safety Plan achieved some encouraging results in its three years of implementation, with statistics from Redfern Police Local Area Command indicating decreases in the offences of:

• Break and Enter - down 26%
  
• Stealing - down 24%
  
• Robbery - down 14%
  
• Stolen Vehicle - down 14% and
  
• Assault - down 7%.
  

In Western Australia, the City of Perth has developed a crime prevention plan to combat anti social behaviour. As reported in WAtoday.com.au the plan is to make Perth a safer place.

Anti-social behaviour is a major concern for Perth.

Encouraging more movie theatres, better availability of toilets and linking train services to taxi pickups at train stations could be the new tools in the inner city fight against crime.

They are some of the ideas being floated in the City of Perth’s latest crime prevention plan.

The plan, which was developed in conjunction with police, government departments and community and business groups, looks at options for increasing community safety in the next three years.

It identifies four priority areas to tackle - a lack of activity in the city outside business hours, excessive use of alcohol and other drugs, anti-social behaviour and safer and more welcoming environments for the public.

Among the strategies to boost after-hours activity are encouraging more diverse venues, such as small bars and music venues, having small vendors open near transport locations, and encouraging more cinemas and galleries to be developed. .

To combat excessive alcohol and drug use, strategies include targeting underage and street drinking and managing the impact of party bus and boat operations, while the plan advocates reviewing the availability of public toilets and water and increasing these services in hotspots at night.

Suggested strategies include extending the CCTV network; and developing “safe” taxi ranks, particularly in Northbridge.

“Ongoing efforts and strategies... need to continue and be directed at hot spots,” the plan says.

“Although there has been some media reports indicating improvements in safety and crime data, this has often been overshadowed by high profile, negative crime stories,” the plan says.

Skilled security professionals are capable of solving a security problem without detracting from the environment. Excessive visual security measures may be inappropriate or give the wrong message in that ‘crime does occur here’. Such an impression may not attract investors, owners, and tenants or provide a degree of comfort for occupiers or visitors. On the other hand security options including electronic access control, CCTV, managed reception/security control points, can present security options that deliver the message that ‘we care’ and that the area provides a safe feeling and a pleasure to be there. Suitable environmental security measures including appropriate lighting, space management and a culture of compliance and acceptance of procedures, naturally support this. Whatever the security initiative, security is an investment in a safe and secure environment.

The selection of the security measures must take into account the requirements of all stakeholders. One must recognise the need for security solutions that meet the basic needs of all whilst providing the additional security measures required by some. As indicated successful outcomes are not achievable without purpose, planning, and partnerships. ASIAL’s advice is to ensure your security provider is appropriately qualified, experienced and licensed.

References

1. http://www.economist.com/blogs/gulliver/2010/02/liveabilityrankings
2. http://www.timeout.com/travel/features/362/the-worldsgreatest-cityr
3. ASIAL - http://www.asial.com.au/
4. View the current ASIAL approved monitoring station list at http://www.asial.com.au/AlarmMonitoringCentreCertification
5. The following publications provide further information regarding the issues surrounding the use of CCTV. 

• The Western Australian Police CCTV Guidelines
• The Victorian Law Reform Commission – Surveillance in Public Places
• Northern Territory CCTV Code of Practice
• New South Wales CCTV in Public Places Guidelines
• Commonwealth Organisation of Australian Governments (COAG) National Approach to CCTV
  

Peter Johnson, Manager-Compliance, Australian Security Industry Association (ASIAL) About ASIAL ASIAL is the recognised peak national body for the private security industry in Australia. Established in 1969, ASIAL’s members represent approximately 85% of the security sector. ASIAL has played a key role in driving Australian standards, developing codes of conduct and raising the level of professionalism within the industry. Visit www.asial.com.au for further information. 111