Community safety is important to us in Boroondara. From 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023, Victoria Police recorded 5,755 criminal incidents in the City of Boroondara — or 3,332 per 100,000 people. This is the fourth-lowest criminal incident rate of metropolitan local government areas in the state.
While our crime rate has remained well below the Victorian average for the past 10 years, there is always more we can do to ensure our own safety and that of the wider community.
This year, we’ll be hosting a range of practical and fun local events to equip you with knowledge and resources to help keep you and your loved ones safe.
Events
- Community Safety Storytime, Monday 2 October at Balwyn Library
- Community safety pop-ups:
- Balwyn Library, Monday 2 October
- Ashburton Community Centre, Friday 6 October
- Coffee with a Cop at Camberwell Place, Friday 20 October
- Emergency Services Family Fun Day, Saturday 21 October at Boroondara Farmers Market.
Be scam savvy
According to the national anti-scam service, Scamwatch, Australians lost a record $3.1 billion to scams in 2022, with an average loss of almost $20,000.
Scammers trick people into handing over money or personal information, which can be used to commit further crimes. They can use phones, text messages, emails or websites to reach their victims. Australians lose more money to investment scams than any other kind of scam, and they can be hard to spot — if a money-making opportunity seems too good to be true, it probably is. You can find out more on the Australian Scamwatch website.
In July, Victoria Police gave scam awareness training to the presidents of some local seniors clubs to help educate their members.
Susie and Michael from U3A Deepdene said they received lots of practical advice. This included:
- taking care when receiving emails from new addresses and on social media
- looking for the padlock symbol in their internet browser's URL bar when online shopping.
Scamwatch advises following these steps to protect yourself:
- Stop: don’t give money or personal information to anyone if you’re unsure about it. Scammers may offer to help you or ask you to verify who you are. Scam messages may urge you to act quickly, and may pretend to be from organisations you know and trust.
- Think: ask yourself if a text message or call could be fake. Never click a link in a message. If you’re not sure, say ‘no’ and then hang up, or delete the message or email.
- Protect: act quickly if something feels wrong. Contact your bank if you notice unusual activity or if a scammer gets your money or information. Seek help from IDCARE, the national identity and cyber support service, which can help you limit any damage. You can find out more on the IDCARE website. If you become aware of a scam, you can report it on the Australian Cyber Security Centre website or on the Australian Scamwatch website.
Who to contact
For information on scams or to report a scam, go to the Australian Scamwatch website.
To report a scam to the police, go to the Australian Cyber Security Centre website.
To get help if you have been scammed, you can call IDCARE 1800 595 160 or visit the IDCARE website.
Support if you’ve been scammed
Being scammed can happen to anyone. You can find more information, resources and links to counselling and mental health support services, under our Community health, safety and wellbeing page.