The Victorian Greens proposal draws from the new Office of Community Safety established by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani that takes a whole-of-government approach.
Since the office was established in March, the Big Apple has experienced the safest summer for violent crime ever recorded.
Victoria has 167 separate crime prevention programs spread across 10 different government departments.
A recent Victorian Auditor-General's Office report into youth crime prevention found the amount of funding the government has put into prevention have no clear targets or goals to ensure money is going where it actually works.
Under their plan, if they win the November state election, the Greens would invest $1 billion to establish the Office of Community Safety & Crime Prevention.
Its aim would be to fund 24/7 crisis outreach, prevention programs and provide additional funding for frontline mental health, alcohol and other drug treatment and homelessness services.
Victorian Greens Leader Ellen Sandell said a whole-of-government approach that invests in preventing crime has worked around the world.
"It worked in NYC and it can work in Victoria too," Ms Sandell said on Tuesday.
"It's clear we need to do something different. That's why the Greens will invest in what actually works."
Crime Statistics, released last month, reveal serious and violent crime in Victoria has fallen by almost four per cent in the past year.
There were significant reductions in robbery, down 22.9 per cent; residential aggravated burglary was down 27 per cent; carjackings and attempted carjackings declined 25.4 per cent; and overall burglary fell by 19.9 per cent.
Police attributed some of the reductions to increased visible and proactive policing.
But other areas of offending continued to rise.
Drug offenders apprehended increased 11.6 per cent, while the number of offenders processed for drug trafficking and dealing rose 18.5 per cent.
Police also recorded a 2.7 per cent increase in retail theft, with 43,124 offences recorded.
The Greens proposal is not the first time Victorian policy has followed in the footsteps of New York City.
In the 2025/26 state budget, the Labor government allocated $33 million into the Violence Reduction Unit, which included a specific $3.7 million fund to adapt a New York community-based gang violence intervention framework, following its success in Brooklyn.
Opposition Leader Jess Wilson on Tuesday announced her party would reset the state's approach to mental health if the Liberals win power in November.
Despite the Royal Commission in 2021 making numerous recommendations, many of them had not been implemented, she said.
Ms Wilson indicated mental health, particularly youth mental health, would likely require increased investment, including a proposed youth mental health centre of excellence with Orygen and former Australian of the Year Pat McGorry.
"I think it's an area of healthcare that is going to require more more investment, and particularly for young people," Ms Wilson told ABC radio.
Victorian Premier Ben Carroll, Deputy Opposition leader David Southwick and Ms Sandell will address the state's community sector at VCOSS Event on Tuesday.
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