Daniel Andrews to hold talks with lord mayor about city safety
Premier Daniel Andrews will speak to Melbourne’s lord mayor on Sunday about the city's security needs as shocked Victorians come to grips with the death of 22-year-old comedian Eurydice Dixon.
Security measures will be the focus of government and police this week as thousands of people prepare to attend a vigil for Ms Dixon, whose body was found in Princes Park, Carlton North, on Wednesday morning.
Melbourne City Council will hold separate discussions with police on Monday to discuss whether more can be done to keep Melburnians safe.
Mr Andrews said on Sunday that he held regular discussions with police about safety and he would also talk to lord mayor Sally Capp following the death of Ms Dixon.
The young comedian had been on her way home from a show at the Highlander Bar in the CBD. Her body was found on a soccer field in the park in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Mr Andrews said he kept in “constant contact” with Melbourne City Council about security requirements for the city.
“That’s the best way to get things done and to be as responsive as you possibly can be,” he said. “I’ll be speaking to the lord mayor this afternoon actually about catching up.”
The Premier said violence against women remained an entrenched problem that needed to be tackled.
“We also need to acknowledge that this is a tragic reminder ... that violence against women is still a feature of a contemporary Victorian society. We shouldn’t settle for that.”
Brunswick resident Phoebe Kerr, 26, said she felt Ms Dixon's death had deeply affected women in the area and made them question their own safety.
"I guess I felt very upset and shaken by it and I mean it's kind of weird ... it feels very close to home and makes you feel very scared and angry I guess."
On Friday, Ms Kerr got out at the end of the No. 1 tram route and weighed up whether she should walk the dark, quiet streets the 600 metres to her home or take an Uber.
The tram driver noticed her feeling nervous about walking home and offered to drop her there.
"He made me feel safe, he just finished [work]. Maybe it’s still silly, it’s weird, I don’t want to walk along the street but got in the car with a strange man anyway. I felt like it was fine.
"It’s that thing, damned if you do, damned if you don’t sometimes," she said.
"You’re never going to be able to patrol every dark street in Brunswick. People will still walk around feeling unsafe."
She said although it may have been ''dumb'' to get into the car, she weighed up the risks of walking in the dark in Brunswick, and that the tram driver made her feel safe.
''I think the reason it made me feel good was it was a man being aware that they have a role in making women feel safer actively. Not just 'I wouldn’t do that', but what are you doing in the positive to make a change?"
A spokesperson for Cr Capp said the lord mayor would receive a briefing from police on Monday about what more could be done to enhance safety in the CBD.
"Victoria Police are the experts on security matters and the lord mayor is keen to understand how the City of Melbourne can best support police and work together to ensure everything possible is being done when it comes to safety and security in our city," the spokesperson said.
A vigil for Ms Dixon will be held at Princes Park on Monday from 5.30pm to 7.30pm. By midday on Sunday, more than 10,000 people have registered their interest in attending.
A fundraising campaign for Ms Dixon's family has so far reached more than $62,000.
A 19-year-old man has been charged with murder and rape.
Police Association of Victoria secretary Wayne Gatt said high-visibility policing remained at the core of community safety and crime prevention.
“Police can’t be everywhere all the time but a high level of visible policing presence not only provides reassurance to the community it also ensures the responses are prompt and there is a strong deterrent for people who commit such abhorrent acts,” he said.