FREMANTLE council has been called on to do more to keep women safe when they’re enjoying Freo’s nightlife. 

South Fremantle community advocate Sarah Davis spoke at Wednesday’s council meeting, calling for regulated exit laws to prevent violence, after witnessing a brutal domestic assault while leaving a venue last weekend. 

“There’s this disconnect where these super venues serve people to absolute intoxication, and then at midnight, everyone gets thrown out to the street at the same time,” Ms Davis said in an interview with the Chook. 

“You can’t serve people to that extreme level of intoxication and then throw them all out onto the street at the same time.” 

As part of her demands, Ms Davis called on the council to trial a late-night community safety team on the weekends and pressure the Cook government to ensure Racing, Gaming and Liquor is more regularly enforcing the responsible service of alcohol. 

• Sarah Davis witnessed domestic violence on Freo’s streets last weekend and wants new rules to protect women. Photo by Katherine Kraayvanger

“[We need to] work in partnership with RGL, stop operating in silos, open communication lines, and push for coordinated inspections and shared data around repeat breaches. 

“No one is talking about the direct link between alcohol and gender-based violence, and the part we are playing in it by letting all of these regulations go,” Ms Davis said.

“[We also need to] establish a local working group or oversight board, and include venue owners, survivors, community advocates, health professionals, and young people.” 

Trauma-informed training, a public register of breaches, and championing of the Safer Venues program were also on Ms Davis’ list of requests of the City. 

A City of Fremantle spokesperson says the City “acknowledges the lived experience” of alcohol-fuelled, gender-based violence and says it will give “careful consideration” to Ms Davis’ comments. 

“Officers are in the process of updating the City’s Community Safety Crime Prevention Plan and there is community engagement planned as part of that process,” the spokesperson said. 

“The City of Fremantle takes community safety very seriously… the City’s Community Safety team works closely with WA Police, providing critical information to assist the Police, business community, locals, and visitors to Fremantle.”

In a statement to the Herald, the spokesperson highlighted what the City had already implemented. 

“Security patrols, conducted by the City’s community safety team, operate until 2am on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights with a focus on observing and reporting criminal activity and anti-social behaviour, within the city centre and surrounding suburbs… monitoring of the CCTV network also assists with this,” the spokesperson said. 

“The City participates in Liquor Accord meetings at which there are WA Police and Department representatives in attendance.” 

Ms Davis says she is keen not to “demonise” venues or the City in pitching her “critical” suggestions to make Freo safer for women to enjoy its nightlife. 

“None of what I’m asking them to do is radical stuff,” she said. 

“It’s a systemic issue that now you can see leaching into our streets and therefore leaching into women’s homes.”

by KATHERINE KRAAYVANGER