Voices from affected community members on the issue

A community safety report issued on 10 July draws directly from interviews with more than 180 Canberra residents who reported personal encounters with theft, intimidation and property damage over the past year.

The timing coincides with population growth in outer suburbs and ongoing pressure on ACT Policing resources amid the federal public service workforce expansion. Residents note that light rail construction along Northbourne Avenue has altered foot traffic patterns, leaving some side streets quieter after dark and more vulnerable.

Stories gathered for the report came from people living near the Belconnen Town Centre and the Gungahlin Marketplace. One regular shopper at the Belconnen markets described repeated bike thefts from racks outside the library branch on Emu Bank. A parent who uses the playground at Gungahlin Lakes recounted groups of youths gathering after 9 pm and leaving broken glass on paths used by morning commuters.

Resident accounts from northern suburbs

Participants described concrete changes in their routines. Several Belconnen households said they now pay for private security patrols at a cost of $45 per month because response times from ACT Policing averaged 42 minutes during evening shifts last financial year. In Gungahlin, tenants in newer apartment blocks near the light rail terminus reported smashed car windows on three separate occasions between March and May this year.

The report includes data showing a 12 per cent rise in reported incidents in public spaces between July 2025 and June 2026, with 245 separate files opened for the Belconnen policing district alone. ACT Policing’s community engagement program logged 67 street meetings in the same period, yet participants said follow-up action often stalled after the initial visit.

Next steps for local input

ACT Labor has scheduled two further listening sessions at the Dickson Community Centre on 22 July and at the University of Canberra on 29 July. Residents are asked to bring specific dates, times and locations rather than general complaints so officers can target patrols more precisely. The next formal update from the safety working group is due in October.