How safe is Melbourne’s CBD — and how much of the concern is perception versus reality?

In this episode of Future Melbourne, we speak with Inspector Dale Huntington, Victoria Police’s Local Area Commander for Southbank and Melbourne East, about the evolving safety picture across central Melbourne.

With crime and amenity becoming defining issues in recent years, this conversation takes a calm and considered look at what’s really happening on the ground. We discuss crime trends in the CBD and surrounding precincts, the impact of COVID on the city’s rhythm, hotspot areas, retail theft, youth offending, knife crime, public order and the challenges of policing one of the busiest and most complex urban environments in the state.

We also explore how Victoria Police is responding through initiatives like Operation Harmony, the role of neighbourhood policing, the emergence of the City of Melbourne’s Community Safety Officers, and the importance of working with council, businesses, residents and support services when responding to issues around homelessness, mental health and visible drug use.

Inspector Huntington brings decades of operational policing experience to the conversation, including major events, public order, transport safety and executive leadership within Victoria Police. He offers a valuable perspective on what safety means in a modern global city — and what Melbourne needs to do to remain both safe and welcoming in the years ahead.

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