Over 100 people attended a Liberal Party community safety forum held in Taylors Lakes on Thursday 2 October.
The forum was hosted by opposition leader Brad Battin and Western Metropolitan Region MP Moira Deeming.
Police veteran Charlie Bezzina, who served for 38 years, also spoke at the event.
Ms Deeming said the forum was a huge success.
“Everybody was bringing up crime. Obviously everybody’s feeling deeply concerned and unsafe,” Ms Deeming said.
Ms Deeming said she has noticed a difference in the way crime has been carried out in recent years.
“There’s something very disturbing, I think, about the brazenness of everyday crime,” she said.
Ms Deeming said local sporting clubs and community groups are “extremely powerful” at engaging at-risk youth to deter them from committing crimes.
She also said Mr Bezzina’s insights were well received at the forum.
“He just really cares and he could give that perspective from years of experience,” Ms Deeming said.
Mr Battin told Star Weekly the number one issue people raise with him is crime.
“The forum wanted to hear about our positive plan for a fresh start for Victoria and how we will be tougher on crime and smarter on justice than Labor,” Mr Battin said.
“We’ll make bail laws stronger. If you break bail, you face jail-because accountability matters. We’ll introduce Jack’s Law, giving police and PSOs the tools and technology they need to get knives off the streets before tragedy strikes.
“When crimes are committed, the sentences will be serious, and the consequences will be real. Justice will be clear and firm. We cannot arrest our way out of this problem.
“We need to give our young people pathways out of crime-and we will provide programs that steer them toward education, toward work, and toward hope.”
The safety forum was part of a series of community engagements held in the west on the day.
Prior to the safety forum Mr Batin and Ms Deeming hosted a community sport forum in Brimbank, a housing and business forum with community stakeholders and spoke to local business owners in the region.
