Murders of women in public spaces by strangers are not commonplace. And murders in Australia in general are on the decline. Compared to many countries, Australia is a safe place.
The public needs help from officials who can protect and serve.
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Governments can help citizens protect their own cybersecurity by providing practical advice and meaningful support.
Scandals have dominated the recent headlines, but healthcare, education and public transport have been at the core of the policy debates.
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Design principles, known as ‘crime prevention through environmental design’, are used all over the world to make cities safer. But some of these principles can be discriminatory and hostile.
Eurydice Dixon was murdered in a busy Melbourne park - how can we make these spaces safer for women?
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Australia has guidelines for designing safe parks, but the stories of many women show these are not enough. We must involve women in co-designing these shared public spaces.
CCTV cameras are becoming a “normal” feature of public life, tracking peoples’ movements as a matter of course.
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Ultimately, most regulatory interventions in nightlife precincts are about imposing particular ideas of social and moral order not only within these spaces but also in the city more broadly.
Police march down Swanston Street in Melbourne.
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Security in cities can make some people feel safe while excluding others. New ways of planning and policing public space are needed to ensure cities are safe and accessible for all.
The White Night festival is an example of Melbourne’s efforts to promote itself as a convivial city.
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Australian cities generally minimise negative attributes such as crime, segregation and violence, but developing positive attributes such as inclusivity appears more challenging.
The benefits of walking are widely promoted, but most Australian communities still aren’t walker-friendly. Young people, who rely heavily on walking to get around, are clear about what has to change.
Most women feel unsafe when using public transport. Instead of gender segregation, researchers suggest gender-sensitive design could be a better way to ensure safety for all.
The health scare surrounding nanoparticles might lead to people abandoning formula unnecessarily, with serious impacts on babies’ health.
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A widely publicised study that cast doubt on the safety of milk formula was misleading, based on dubiously reported studies and may have serious consequences.
In El Salvador, the dead are almost innumerable, but not forgotten.
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Some 60,000 Brazilians are killed each year, accounting for 10% of all homicides worldwide. As terrorised voters look to authoritarian leaders to impose order, Brazil’s democracy hangs in the balance.
It’s almost impossible to adequately protect soft targets like public gatherings.
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Interim Director, UWA Public Policy Institute; Associate Professor & Programme Co-ordinator (Masters of Public Policy), The University of Western Australia