Canberra has long seen itself as a safe city, but recent reporting on falling safety perceptions shows that confidence is being tested in ways government cannot ignore.
The Canberra Times article, "Trust in ACT police officers declines amid falling safety perceptions", reported that nearly 45 per cent of Canberrans do not feel safe walking around their neighbourhood at night, 64 per cent do not feel safe using public transport at night, and more than 74 per cent see speeding cars and dangerous driving as a problem in their area.
It also gave voice to residents, retail workers and women who now think twice before going out, closing a shop, walking to a car, or catching public transport after dark.
This cannot be dismissed as perception alone, because when people feel unsafe, they change how they live. They avoid town centres, avoid public transport, leave work differently, tell their children to be careful in places that should feel normal and safe, and slowly withdraw from the public spaces that make a city function.
That is both a public safety problem and an economic problem.
The ACT Legislative Assembly's inquiry into Canberra's night-time economy is examining the future of Canberra after dark, with submissions now closed and the inquiry still ongoing. That inquiry should not be seen only as a discussion about bars, restaurants, music venues or trading hours, because a night-time economy depends on whether people feel safe enough to use the city, work in it, spend money in it, and travel home from it.
Public submissions to the inquiry make this point clearly. ClubsACT argued that Canberra's night-time economy is being held back not only by regulation, but by declining public-realm amenity, including poor lighting, graffiti, rubbish, damaged footpaths, unsafe access routes and inconsistent policing presence. It also argued that policing visibility, active CCTV coverage and coordinated precinct response capability should be recognised as essential infrastructure for a safe and growing night-time economy.
The Canberra Region Tourism Leaders Forum and Canberra Business Chamber also told the inquiry that participation in the city's night-time offerings is driven as much by safety, access and the state of the public realm as by venues, events and attractions. They also noted that the proposed city centre police station had not progressed despite years of discussion, shifting costs onto businesses through higher security costs, repairs to vandalised facilities, and the need for businesses to act as informal refuges for people escaping anti-social behaviour.
The message is consistent. Canberra cannot have a stronger night-time economy if people do not feel safe after dark, and police visibility is central to that confidence.
A visible police presence deters offending, reassures the community and allows officers to engage before problems escalate. It matters in Civic, Gungahlin, Belconnen, Woden and Tuggeranong, and it matters at shopping centres, tram stops, bus interchanges, car parks and hospitality precincts.
But visibility requires numbers, and The Canberra Times article reported that the ACT's density of sworn officers has fallen over the past decade, from 173 per 100,000 people to 169, while unsworn staff per capita has doubled. Civilian staff perform important work and support operational policing, but civilian support cannot replace sworn police on the ground.
Only sworn police can respond to violent incidents, use statutory powers, make arrests, manage volatile scenes and provide the visible reassurance many Canberrans are asking for.
The ACT government needs to be honest about this. Canberra is growing, demand on police is growing, and the complexity of incidents involving mental health, family violence, youth offending, dangerous driving, drug-related harm and public place violence continues to place real pressure on front-line members.
That pressure cannot be solved by asking existing members to stretch further. ACT Policing members are often called when other systems have already failed, including when mental health services are stretched, youth services are not enough, or retail, transport and hospitality workers face violence or intimidation. Police are not the answer to every social problem, but they are a critical part of public safety and cannot be expected to hold the system together without the staffing, tools and support needed to do the job properly.
The ACT also needs a more serious approach to youth offending and early intervention, because while many young people need support, structure, family intervention, health care, education support and diversion, the community still deserves protection from repeat violence, intimidation and weapons-related offending. Compassion and accountability can exist together.
Retail workers should not be assaulted for doing their job, women should not feel unsafe walking to their cars, hospitality workers should not be stranded after late shifts, parents should not worry about children being harassed at sports, and older Canberrans should not feel pushed out of shopping centres or town centres.
The ACT government should treat The Canberra Times article and the night-time economy inquiry as a warning that public safety after dark now requires a coordinated response across policing, transport, health, youth justice, planning, licensing, municipal services and business support.
A safer Canberra after dark will require more front-line police, better lighting, stronger CCTV coverage, safer public transport, clearer pick-up points, better-maintained public spaces, and practical support for workers and businesses dealing with the consequences of anti-social behaviour and violence.
The community is saying something simple. People want to feel safe again, and ACT Policing members are ready to do their job if the ACT government gives them the numbers, tools and support needed to keep Canberra safe, during the day and after dark.
The community is telling us something important.
People want to feel safe again and to see police in their suburbs. They want safe transport, safe town centres and a justice system that responds before problems get out of control. They want the government to stop treating community safety as a perception issue and start treating it as a lived reality.
