What we do

The Victorian Safe Communities Network (VSCN) was established following the Fifth International Conference on Safe Communities held in Melbourne and regional Victoria during February 1996.

The VSCN started as an informal coalition, comprising approximately ten community injury and crime & violence prevention programs (under the banner of ‘community safety’) and officers from agencies that have an interest in injury prevention and community safety. It became an incorporated body in June 1999, to drive and support developing and established injury prevention/community safety initiatives in Victoria.

VSCN has a charter to encourage local communities, and in particular local government councils, to become a member of the Network and a designated member of the World Health Organisation’s international network of ‘Safe Communities’. In Victoria, Hume City Council and La Trobe Shire Council, have been accredited with this prestigious membership.

One of VSCN’s aims is to encourage local communities to work jointly and collaboratively on public safety, crime and violence prevention and injury prevention issues as there are opportunities, strategic benefits and cost savings in addressing both intentional and unintentional within the one framework. For example some programs have found cost savings and other health benefits where strategies to improve the safety and security of older people in their homes have been delivered with interventions to prevent home falls, burns and scalds and other home injuries.

The Victorian Community Council Against Violence provides the Secretariat function of the VSCN and also takes the leading role in co-ordinating Community Safety Week.

Community Safety Month is major initiative of the Victorian Safe Communities Network. This annual event, to be held from 5th October to 31st October 2003, is an essential component of community safety promotion to create safe, secure and injury free environments.

In late 1998 the VSCN was funded by VicHealth to employ a full time project officer. Located at Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC), the project officer’s main role is to support the development of current and new initiatives to prevent injury and promote community safety at local government and community levels and recruit local injury prevention and community safety programs into the VSCN.