Three council safety officers have begun patrolling the Hobart CBD as the city council starts a three-year trial aimed at dealing with problems before they escalate.
The Safe City Liaison Team was launched in the Elizabeth Street Mall on Thursday.
The officers will patrol during business hours, check in with traders, refer vulnerable people to homelessness, youth, health and community services and pass information on to police.
Alderman Louise Bloomfield, who chairs the Safer Hobart Alliance, said businesses, community groups and police had asked for a more visible council presence in the city centre.
“These officers are not police and do not have police powers,” she said.
“Their role is to support Tasmania Police through engagement, education and connecting people with the services they need.”
Liaison officer Raewyn Pike, who has a background in custodial work and probation and parole, said the team was “not there to be an enforcement role” and would refer more serious issues to police and other agencies.
Pike said not wearing an official uniform was “a bonus” because it allowed for a “more relaxed” approach.
Hobart Chamber of Commerce general manager Robert Mallett said there was a perception that crime was getting worse, with young people becoming “much more brazen” and thieves “much more organised”.
Tasmania Police data shows total offences in the Hobart area averaged about 429 a month in the 12 months to July, peaking at 542 in October 2025.
Public order incidents averaged about 334 a month over the same period and peaked at 414 in July.
Mallett said “organised gangs of young kids disrupting business” were very stressful for traders.
“It makes people not even want to open their doors, let alone their staff come to work and we need to do something about that,” he said.
“I think the safety liaison officers that are in the City of Hobart from now on will actually do just that.”
Mallett said the team could also help fill empty shops by boosting traders’ confidence.
Tasmania Police Acting Inspector Dave Summers welcomed the initiative.
He said he did not believe youth crime was getting worse and that offending was largely driven by a small group of repeat offenders.
“I think with the rise of social media and things like that, I guess it’s getting more promoted than what it used to be,” he said.
“[Police are] actively patrolling and doing targeted patrols of the city centre and I think the safe city liaison officers are going to complement this.”
Councillors approved the trial in March, funding it by reallocating three existing council positions.
The team will wear body cameras and patrol the Hobart CBD during business hours on weekdays.
