Footscray has never been safe. I moved tgere in 91... Within 2days a man was murdered on my street (pickett) and by the end of the wk another killed in a spot i was jogging past 10mins before. Not to mention the calabrian mafia killings, vietnamese heroin machete weilding gangs. Im a 6ft tattooed maori, i never felt safe there.

I grew up in Braybrook and would go to Footscray and work in Footscray when I was 18. Loved it. Mum would take me as a child and we would shop st Forges. I am 73 now and came across your video. I was shocked to see how different it was. Very sad. Thankyou for your posts they are wonderful.

I agree with “doing enough is impossible”.

It's a shame to see what has happened to Footscray it was a really good place 50 years ago. We would all meet up for lunch at Coles Cafe  and had to wait for a table to become vacant, but now it's a dead shopping centre

Anybody who believes the current state of Footscray isn't at its worst has no idea what they're talking about. Those of us who have been in Footsceay for over 40 years are qualified to comment regarding the horrible decline of this once great suburb.

TJ I really enjoy your videos! Having been brought up in Tottenham and living in Footscray for the last 4 years, walking down the street has become a nightmare. I understand there are deeper issues that cause people to become the way they are but I’m really over seeing people tweaking, yelling, and abusing random people every time I go outside. Really hoping for some positive changes to the community soon to make it safer for families.

Some people are beyond help and there is no solution.

Footscray in the 1970s felt like Europe , it was a nice place and very busy foot traffic , it now looks like something from a zombie movie . What went wrong .

Great video! I lived in Footscray from mid 2018 till 2021 but more along Ballarat Road near VU, which had a stark difference in feel to the CBD, especially near the Train Station. I remember when I first moved I had a roommate and we decided to get pizza late at night, and we saw a guy throwing a trolley into the side of a store who threatened us to leave, was a good introduction to the area 😂I saw a lot of other things and even witnessed the aftermath of a murder, but saying that it's also an extremely close knit community. When I lived there the local council was trying to privatise an area of the massive and beautiful Footscray Park, and the community valiantly banded together for months to stop this, and were actually successful!

Footscray is definitely a hard place to live, but because of this it breeds a real sense of community that I haven't experienced in any other Melbourne suburb.

I've been living in Footscray for over 6 years now and been in security for over twenty years. The homeless, drug affected, mentally ill do need help, much more professional than me. However they do deserve to be protected from other aggravating types. The security presence is supposed to be a deterrent but they also need to be personable, informative, approachable but also firm when necessary and as a last resort arrest and hold until the police arrive. The community also needs to feel safe and the public as a whole should too. There's no bandaid solution for this, it's a lot more than one or the other, it's more than both.

ahh that lady that feeds the birds with no shoes on shes lovely

Beautiful Docco TJ!!! I love it! it's real and honest and true and you've given a platform to kind and compassionate and insightful locals who know exactly what community needs. I have such a big soft spot for Footscray, i've never lived there, but all my experiences there have always been beautiful, full of people from other cultures and languages open and sharing and welcoming.... That's what everyone in Footscray needs to remember - the town is defined by the fact that its a levelling melting pot of culture - its something to be proud of. DRugs and poverty and violence arent inherent to that place, its only because everyone forgot to hold on to each other. And the government neglected to provide and fund essential crisis centres and properly police crime and exploitation of the desperate 30 years ago

Keep up the good work Tj, loving your short films my friend🙂

Dr. Ahmed….. wow, what a wonderful, gentle intelligent man. Very refreshing.

My partner is moving near Footscray as the area is closer to the city, but upon seeing this I’m worried about her safety and the investment she committed in buying a place close by to live.

You're the best! You represent understanding and kindnesses in a world of "them vs Us". Keep it up!

Love your work Tj! 👍

My family moved to Footscray in the 70’s.
My grandma & uncles ran Margaret’s Bazaar, for the long time residents! Right in the heart of Footscray.
I’ve been here 42 yrs & can really tell u some stories 🤣😱😍😡🤮

Footscrazy since the 80's.

I grew up in Footscray/Seddon during the 70s and 80s, but something changed. The landscape of people and culture  declined. It is sad to see social issues not being addressed are wnd can create unessessary fear.