FAQs

A safe community is one in which all sectors of the community work together in a coordinated and collaborative way by forming partnerships to facilitate safety initiatives; manage safety risks; and reduce the fear of crime/harm. A key feature of a safe community is the creation of local networks (i.e., coalition of community, business, and government) that combine resources and interests to address local concerns about community safety and crime prevention in a coordinated and sustainable manner.

Community safety and crime prevention is a shared responsibility amongst various stakeholders, including federal government (particularly Australian Federal Police and Department of Home Affairs), state government (particularly WA Police and Department of Communities), local government (City of Fremantle and other LGAs), community organisations, businesses, and local residents. The City is committed towards playing its part to make our community a safe place to live, work and visit 

The City works in consultation and collaboration with stakeholders and various service and outreach providers to endeavour to keep the Fremantle community a safe, healthy and lively place for all and reduce crime in the community. The City acknowledges that community safety and crime prevention are complex issues with multiple social and environmental drivers impacting on both actual crime rates and perceived crime.

Updating the current Community Safety and Crime Prevention plan, guided by public input, will allow optimized usage of local government resources and allow better City advocacy for external funding and support to employ more services and new technology.

 Crime prevention: 

Crime prevention focuses on deterring criminal activity and reducing crime. It aims to eliminate factors that lead to crime occurring. 

Perception of community safety: 

It is vital that people feel safe living in, working in and visiting Fremantle. Feeling unsafe can lead to people avoiding certain places and discourage people from being an active part of their communities. Nationally, it is common for gaps between perceptions of crime in an area and the actual risk of experiencing crime. 

While this is the case, community members have expressed concern and genuine fear of crime in Fremantle and their personal safety. Informed by crime statistics, the Community Safety and Crime Prevention Plan document aims to paint an accurate and updated picture of crime in Fremantle, using public feedback gathered during the engagement process. Misconceptions about the actual risk of crime can undermine perceptions of safety. This Plan seeks to address these issues and improve how safe the community feels in the City of Fremantle.

The feeling of safety and avoiding becoming affected by crime is a desire for all who live and visit Fremantle, as well as the broader community. The City of Fremantle aims for Fremantle to be an environment where people feel safe, with public spaces that encourage people to linger and interact, and places and spaces designed to be actively used throughout the day and night by everyone. As a destination city Fremantle also attracts visitors of all ages, which brings unique challenges and opportunities.

Community safety and crime prevention are complex issues and many aspects are not under the control of local government. Therefore, successful initiatives require a collaborative effort from all tiers of government, stakeholders and the community. Crime and anti-social behaviour issues are often brought about by more prominent complex societal factors and are often unable to be addressed in the short term. At the same time, mitigation programs are difficult to effectively gauge their successes. The City is just one part of the broader community’s responsibility to promote and provide a safer community for those who live, visit, invest, and work within the City of Fremantle. 

The purpose of the Community Safety and Crime Prevention Plan is to set priorities for community safety and crime prevention for the next five years across the City of Fremantle, including actions the City can lead and facilitate, or advocate for where control sits outside local government. In addition, community safety was highlighted as priority within the Liveable City heading of Strategic Community Plan 2024-34.

The aim of the CSCP Plan 2025-30 is to guide community safety and crime prevention initiatives in partnership with key government agencies and the local community. It is designed to be a versatile document that will be adaptable to cater for the community’s safety needs over the next five years. Community safety and crime prevention is a shared responsibility of all levels of government and the community. The City of Fremantle acknowledges that each level of government has a different role to play in building safe communities. Greater community safety and crime prevention outcomes can be achieved through working together with people and organisations from multiple sectors taking joint responsibility and pooling resources to make communities safer. Consequently, the Plan will be a useful tool that can be used by various stakeholders to develop future project opportunities and seek funding

Community Safety Officers  

The City’s Community Safety Officers are responsible for enforcing local laws in relation to ranger related duties as well as provide a mediation role to assist the Police, business community, locals and visitors to Fremantle.

Officers conduct security patrols of the CBD and surrounding suburbs using bicycles and vehicles and are on duty from 7am to 9pm, seven days a week. On public holidays the team operates from 8pm to 6pm. Particular attention is given to areas where anti-social activity is known to occur and the well-known dog exercise areas within the City’s boundaries.

Security patrols will be extended to 2am on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights with the team focusing on monitoring and reporting anti-social behaviour within the City’s car parks, main streets and the surrounding suburbs.

The team can be contacted on 1300 360 666 if you wish to report any issues or require security patrols of a location.

Useful documents

• View the City of Fremantle Community Safety and Crime Prevention Plan 2019–24
• Download The Freo Way - Community Code of Conduct
• Home security checklist
• Party bus code of conduct

Useful links

• DFES
• Western Australia Police
• Nyoongar Patrol
• Bureau of Meteorology

It is up to all of us, not just police, to help fight crime. By taking a few simple precautions you can make life harder for criminals and protect yourself, your belongings and your home. The Office of Crime Prevention has compiled some of the top tips to reduce your chances of becoming a victim of crime which includes:

• personal safety
• home security
• holiday security

Personal safety

Most offenders choose targets that they perceive as vulnerable so it is important to always act and respond to others with confidence. It is also important not to put yourself in situations where your safety could be compromised.

Some tips include:

• Tell your family, friends or colleagues your whereabouts and the time you expect to be returning. If you change your plans, let them know.
• Stay alert and aware of your surroundings at all times.
• Practice what you would do in a life threatening situation with a friend or consider taking self-defence lessons.
• Walk in well-lit areas that are clear of overgrown bushes or trees.
• Walk against the flow of traffic, this prevents vehicles driving slowly alongside you;
• Walk with a friend or group wherever possible and always walk confidently at a steady pace.
• Keep the car doors locked at all times while you are in the car.
• Stay in control if you are drinking. Count your drinks and, if you planning to have a big night, have a non-drinking friend to take care of you and make sure you get home safely.
• Check the surrounding area before going to your car, and check your back seat before getting in. When approaching your car, have your keys ready in your hand.

Home security

The following are some simple measures that can deter would-be criminals from making your house a target:

• Lock up the house whether you are at home or out. In over a third of WA’s burglary cases the burglars have climbed through an open window or walked through an unlocked door.
• Install quality deadlocks on all external doors and key locks on your windows. Install security screens so you can have your windows open without inviting burglars in.
• At night, leave inside lights on which would normally be on if you were at home.
• Consider using electronic timing devices that turn the TV, radio or lights on and off at selected times;
• Keep doors and windows locked at all times and activate alarm systems when leaving your home;
• Consider installing movement-activated external lighting.
• Install key operated locks for doors with glass panels.
• Make windows more secure by fitting locks, safety film, security screens or external roller shutters.
• Put away tools, gardening equipment and ladders – burglars may use these to gain access.
• Remember to lock garden sheds and garages.
• Keep trees and shrubs trimmed to minimise hiding places available to a burglar. Low or see-through fences at the front of homes also deter burglars as they minimise hiding places.
• Fit an approved meter box with a viewing window. Contact your electrical supplier for further information.
• Mark valuable property with the letters of the state followed by your driver’s licence number, e.g. WA 1234567.
• Photograph and record serial numbers of all valuable property and keep this information in a safe place.

Holiday security

By taking some simple precautions and giving your home a “lived in” look before you go on holidays, you can substantially reduce the risk of burglary.

Some tips to follow include:

• Ensure all doors and windows are securely locked, preferably with deadlocks and keyed window locks.
• Let your neighbours know you will be away and ask them to watch out for visitors and collect all your mail.
• Cancel all deliveries such as newspapers.
• Consider installing automatic timing devices for lights and electrical appliances such as radios and televisions.
• Give your house keys to a trusted friend or neighbour rather than hiding them outside your home.
• Be sure to notify the key holder when you return. This is especially important if you return home early.
• Give your neighbour or friend your contact address and telephone number.
• Consider asking your neighbour to park a car in your driveway.
• Your answering machine message should simply say that you are unable to come to the phone.
• Consider leaving a pair of old work boots by the front door to give the impression that someone is home.

Reporting suspicious behaviour

If people have any information about a fire or suspect somebody of deliberately lighting fires, they should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Ongoing vigilance by the community in reporting suspicious behaviour and arson will help minimise the likelihood of bush fire.