Case study: Meet Your Street community safety campaign in Monash

With residential non-aggravated burglary on the rise in Monash, Monash City Council developed a community safety project to help encourage greater connections between neighbours and increase feelings of safety. 

The Meet Your Street project developed postcards for people to swap their contact details with their neighbours. The postcards also outlined simple actions which can be taken to make a street feel safer and help to reduce the risk of burglary. For example, collecting mail or bringing in bins when someone is away.

The postcards were delivered to more than 2000 households in four precincts across the City of Monash. Council also worked with the community to help plan local gatherings and other activities to enhance the neighbourhood to complement the campaign.

The Meet your Street project is underpinned by research evidence around the importance of community connectedness in preventing crime and improving perceptions of safety. Research suggests that a high level of trust between community members can lead to a greater desire to work together to prevent crime.

Simple practical acts can help to build positive relationships and make a street look and feel safer. This might include swapping contact details or taking your neighbour’s bin in while they’re away.

Council partnered with the following groups to help deliver the project:

• Victoria Police
• Monash University’s Centre for Social and Population Research
• Neighbourhood Watch
• Link Health
• community groups.

This is part of a wider initiative by council that aims to change perceptions around community safety in the City of Monash.

Front cover of the postcard:

Back cover of the postcard: