Private Security Trial Flops

A controversial $372,000 private security patrol trial championed by Wyndham councillor Preet Singh has failed to prove it reduced crime, with Wyndham City Council’s own evaluation concluding there is no reliable evidence the program had any impact on offending. 

The patrols, introduced as part of an election commitment by then-councillor Preet Singh, operated in Truganina between November 2025 and April 2026.

The program was fully funded through Wyndham City’s 2025-26 Budget. 

The trial sparked criticism from the outset, with opponents questioning why ratepayers across Wyndham should fund a private security service operating in just one suburb while Victoria Police remained responsible for policing.

Adding to the controversy, the trial’s original provider, MA Services Group, later entered administration, forcing council to appoint a replacement contractor.

Council officers acknowledge the change in provider was one of several factors that made it impossible to reliably compare crime data over the life of the trial. 

Results Prove to be Inconclusive 

Despite the significant investment, council officers state there is no reliable correlation between the security patrols and Victoria Police crime statistics, meaning they cannot determine whether the trial actually reduced offending.

They also cite changes to Victoria Police crime recording practices as limiting the evaluation. 

Instead, the strongest evidence presented to councillors is that residents felt safer.

Council’s post-trial survey found the proportion of Truganina residents worried about crime in their local neighbourhood fell by 11 percentage points to 37 per cent, while concern about crime elsewhere in Wyndham dropped by 17 percentage points to 41 per cent. 

Operational data also raises questions about what ratepayers were paying for.

Council Admits Law Enforcement is a Police Responsibility 

During the six-month trial, security officers recorded 973 incidents. Only 372, or 38 per cent, were categorised as potentially related to crime or community safety.

Another 373 reports involved neighbourhood reassurance activities such as checking unsecured garage doors, while 228 related to issues including illegal parking, dumped rubbish, abandoned vehicles and other amenity matters. 

Just 33 incidents, around three per cent of all reports, were considered potentially serious, with patrol officers acting as first responders in 10 cases before emergency services arrived. 

Council’s own report also reiterates that crime prevention and law enforcement remain the responsibility of Victoria Police and the Victorian Government, not local councils. 

The report will be presented to councillors on 28 July, closing the chapter on one of Wyndham’s most divisive community safety initiatives and reigniting questions over whether the $372,000 trial delivered value for ratepayers.