00:02It's a far cry from a bustling city centre and Canberrans are split on whether they feel safe after dark.
00:10Past like 9pm, I would say probably 9.
00:14As a male, probably yes, but I can understand how there's some individuals around that may intimidate people.
00:21All of the different construction sites and all the fencing which makes it very hard to see your surroundings.
00:26I was in Sydney before so I lived in Surry Hills so in comparison to that I do feel really
00:31safe.
00:32Maybe we could have more lights or maybe have more police.
00:38Some business owners are sick of shoplifting and costly acts of violence.
00:44He smashed the door, he smashed the glass, he put the door off the trail and he broke the mechanism.
00:51$21,000.
00:52Police data doesn't indicate a spike in crime in the CBD, but the Canberra Business Chamber says it's worried about
01:00public perception.
01:01Overall patronage in the city centre is holding up pretty well.
01:05But what we are hearing is that there are some people who are concerned about safety in the city, mainly
01:10because of the antisocial behaviour.
01:12Clubs ACT used a recent inquiry into the city's struggling night time economy to argue increasing methamphetamine use is at
01:21the heart of the problem.
01:22The ACT still has second lowest use per capita of methamphetamine.
01:27So I really do contest and push back on some of the narratives that were run through the inquiry.
01:32The government says work is underway to improve lighting and other safety features, but there's an appeal for more police
01:40boots on the ground.
01:41We are undertaking high visibility patrolling, not only in the city area, but also across the ACT.
01:49Publican Peter Barclay has seen plenty of change in civic over the past 26 years.
01:55I think the perception can be that it's maybe not as safe as it could be, but I think the
02:01reality is that it's safer than really any other city in Australia.
02:05But he says more support for Canberra's most marginalised would go a long way.
02:11We feel safe. They're not. They're vulnerable.
02:15A call to restore the city's heart.
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