Right now in Melbourne, uniformed private security guards are roaming the CBD and intimidating people sleeping rough until they move. 

Under a new City of Melbourne council program, “Community Safety Officers” (privately hired security guards) are being deployed to target what the council deems “anti-social behaviour”. 

We’ve heard reports from homelessness services and community organisations that these guards are standing over people – who are simply existing in public space – and intimidating them until they leave. 

This does nothing to address homelessness. It simply pushes vulnerable people further into danger and isolation while ignoring the real cause: a housing crisis driven by decades of underinvestment by our State Government. 

Melbourne’s Mayor, Nick Reece, is looking to expand this program to even more guards in just a few weeks! We need homes and support services, not harassment.

Sign the petition to call on the Victorian Labor Government to:

• Advocate to Melbourne City council to stop the private security guards program and prevent it from expanding further across the state.
  
  
• Stop Labor’s plans to demolish public housing and replace it with mostly private apartments.
  
  
• Fund solutions proven to help end homelessness, like mental health care, drug and alcohol support services, and wraparound social services.

—

P.S. You might also like to sign this petition to the City of Melbourne started by the Homeless Persons Union.

_{Header image: Penny Stephens}