Melbourne CBD Incident

[DJC]

There are many questions and issues to be resolved here including the treatment and accommodation of the mentally ill, the justice and bail system, the acceptable actions of the police in terms of pursuing and apprehending people posing a threat, punishment v. deterrents etc. etc.

While all of this debate takes place and everyone gets comfortable with the eventual outcomes, we need short term measures implemented that keep innocent people as safe as possible whilst they lawfully go about their normal lives on our streets. Obviously safeguards would be needed to avoid the abuse of civil liberties by authorities, but IMO, our right to safe streets is paramount.

That's nailed it Cookie.

The only question I have is are our streets less safe now than they were in the past?  From my own experience of violent incidents, I'd say that not much has really changed in the last 50 years, apart from police routinely carrying firearms.