The Hamilton Safety Audit 2026 was officially unveiled this week in response to rising anti-social behaviour and recent tragic events.
The initiative, displayed on 8 April, marks eight years since the last appraisal and follows heightened safety concerns in the suburb.
James Callahan, a 22-year-old Mayfield resident and passionate conservationist, was fatally attacked on Beaumont Street in November 2024.
Emergency services discovered him suffering multiple stab wounds after he politely asked people to pick up litter from their car.
He later died in hospital.
The senseless violence, carried out by seven individuals, shocked Hamilton residents and businesses.
City of Newcastle (CN) councillor Jenny Barrie said the audit was a collaborative effort.
“Residents working alongside business owners and employees, together with Ward 2 councillors, and the NSW Police proudly produced the report,” she explained.
“It takes a village to reclaim to work on recommendations from the Hamilton Safety Audit to improve customer experiences and for residents to ensure Hamilton is a safer suburb.”
The $10,000 audit was funded equally by the Hamilton Business Association and the CN, while being project-managed by the Hamilton Community Safety Committee (HCSC)
Over the past three months, committee members collaborated with Julie McKimm and Parker Scanlon in response to escalating anti-social behaviour, particularly during the busy summer trading months.
The initiative grew from the HCSC, formed by concerned residents and businesses in October 2025 under Cr Barrie’s leadership.
It includes deputy chair Paul Murphy, Ward 2 councillors, and NSW Police Crime Prevention Officer Constable Blake Cleary.
Monthly meetings are supported with in-kind venues from Hamilton Business Association board members.
A February-March 2025 Service NSW report of the business precinct highlighted the community concerns.
It found that 100% of respondents reported concern over criminal activity, 85% were very concerned, 75% had experienced vandalism, and 61% had faced direct threats of violence.
The audit recommends daytime activation events to promote safety and business growth, following the success of Fringe Feast, including family-friendly programming in James Street Plaza.
“One of the recommendations is for the implementation of CCTV surveillance in public spaces, to ensure the people who become violent or act in a criminal activity, be identified on camera like the CCTV footage capturing the violent attack recently at the Hamilton IGA,” Cr Barrie said.
“However, locking people in jail is not the only answer and a huge drain on taxpayers.
“More government funding in rehabilitation of drug addiction and mental health therapy must be implemented, otherwise these people who are unwell are let out of prison and are back on the street again to start the entire circle, creating havoc and civil disobedience.”
The audit is expected to play a key role in improving safety and rebuilding community confidence in Hamilton.
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