Melville multiplies eyes on the street

Eyes on the Street: (l to r) CSS Officer Saffron Creevey, Team Leader Drainage Maintenance Steve Egan and Waste Services' Mick Graham.

The City of Melville in the southern suburbs of Perth has multiplied its Eyes on the Street, with more than 100 newly trained field staff now gathering intelligence to help local police prevent crime.

Together with the 18 strong City of Melville Community Safety Service employees, the City now has an additional 112 trained Eyes on the Street personnel, including waste collectors, maintenance workers and parks staff.

An Office of Crime Prevention Program, Eyes on the Street is coordinated intelligence gathering that encourages participants to identify and record suspicious behaviour and report it to police.

The program aims to establish partnerships between the Office of Crime Prevention, WA Police and organisations whose workers spend their days on the streets.

"With more keen eyes looking over our City, we hope to further prevent crime, interrupt illegal behaviour and continue to ensure that Melville is a safe, secure place to live," said Melville Mayor Russell Aubrey.

"By calling police, our Eyes on the Street program has already stopped a school burglary in progress, as well as a graffiti vandal.

"In all, five offenders were apprehended.  

"Going about their daily work in Eyes on the Street branded vehicles, these newly trained staff will now add extra value to the community by watching out for safety and reporting any suspicious behaviour for further investigation by police."

Mayor Aubrey said the initiative was a continuation of the close partnership between the City of Melville and WA Police, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two groups in July 2010 as part of the City’s shared vision of a Safer Melville. 

"It’s fantastic to see the City continue to embrace the Eyes on the Street program and I hope this focus on crime can filter through to all Melville residents," said Office of Crime Prevention Eyes on the Street Project Manager Mat Jovanou.

"Eyes on the Street in Local Government helps to strengthen collaborative crime prevention partnerships and gives the community a larger safety net."