The Victorian Government has announced a new strategy to tackle the root causes of crime and build safer, more connected Victorian communities.

Minister for Crime Prevention Natalie Hutchins today launched the Crime Prevention Strategy, backed by more than $30 million. The innovative strategy recognises that each community has the expertise, knowledge and ideas to design the solutions that are right for them.

The strategy sets out a joined-up approach across different areas of Government to work in partnership with community groups, local councils, businesses, and support services to build these connections.

It aims to get Victorian communities engaged in local solutions to prevent crime – to reduce contact with the criminal justice system, get more people connected with early support, and ultimately safer communities.

This approach reflects more than two years of work across three key action areas – addressing the root causes of offending, connecting people and communities with the right support at the right time, and building on the evidence of the most effective ways to prevent crime.

The Strategy builds on the Government’s investment of $48 million for more than 820 successful community crime prevention projects since 2015 that have addressed crime and safety issues across Victoria.

Nearly $20 million from the Victorian Budget 2021/22 will deliver crime prevention initiatives under its key action areas, including extending fifteen Youth Crime Prevention Grant projects and investing in more community-led projects to address the causes of crime and intervene early for young people at-risk.

This builds on an $11 million investment in the Building Safer Communities Program, which is a key initiative under the strategy, and empowers local communities to design and deliver effective and innovative crime prevention solutions.

The program’s first round of funding will support 16 innovative projects across Victoria, including education programs for Pasifika young people, an Aboriginal mentoring program in Mildura for young people who’ve been in contact with the justice system, a program to improve women’s safety in the CBD and a western suburbs of Melbourne mentoring program for South Sudanese youth.

The strategy will help to reduce the significant economic, social and personal costs of crime, and is part of the Victorian Government’s broader work in health, housing and employment to support communities to recover from the pandemic.

For more details on the Crime Prevention Strategy, visit crimeprevention.vic.gov.au/strategy.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Crime Prevention Natalie Hutchins

“All Victorians should feel safe and be safe. Our new Crime Prevention Strategy sets out a clear blueprint to get to the root causes of crime by working with communities to prevent crime happening in the first place.”  

“By intervening early and investing in housing, education and employment we can help to reduce the significant economic, social and personal costs of crime.”