Broome's business lobby is calling on the West Australian government to include parts of the tourist town in planned Protected Entertainment Precinct (PEP) laws.
The laws covering five precincts across greater Perth could result in people previously convicted of violent offences being banned from entering the areas for up to five years.
Police would also have the power to issue people on-the-spot, six-month bans from the PEPs for unlawful, antisocial, disorderly, offensive, indecent or threatening behaviour.
Broome has grappled with anti-social behaviour and public drunkenness in recent years, with rough sleepers from outlying communities congregating on Male Oval and Guwarri Town Beach.
The Broome Chamber of Commerce and Industry wants the CBD and Town Beach areas to be included as PEPs.
"We want these specific zones to be family friendly and safe for everyone," Chamber of Commerce CEO Sharni Foulkes said.
Ms Foulkes said the laws would "future-proof" outdoor events, which are a tourism drawcard.
"This year alone we've had over 240 open air events, and these are all in public spaces," she said.
"If you were to have a badly behaved group of people that caused havoc throughout that event, the police would actually have grounds to be able to ban those people from attending that precinct for up to five years."
Senator Pat Dodson told the ABC last year antisocial behaviour was "wreaking havoc" on the town.
Concerns laws 'unfairly target' certain people
University of Western Australia Professor Meredith Blake said the PEP laws would not be a "magic solution" to reducing crime and instead unfairly targeted people who were already at risk.
"That's really concerning for me," she said.
"We need to address the causes of the offending; the causes are not necessarily going to be addressed by imposing harsher penalties.
"Talk to any criminologist and the clear evidence is that tough on crime doesn't work. What works is addressing the root causes of the crime."
Professor Blake said Deakin University research on similar precinct laws in Queensland found incidents were not reduced.
She also flagged the need for clear guidelines on how the powers would be exercised, an independent body to review decisions, and good training for police using their “discretionary powers" to issue bans.
“That discretion needs to be very carefully exercised," Professor Blake said.
"There are risks that there will be certain people who will attract the attention of the police more than others … including the homeless person.
“But if we're serious about addressing these sorts of behaviours and other criminal offences, then we need to be thoughtful and intelligent — and look at evidence and put in place really effective measures without just reacting in a way that sounds good.”
Laws to be Perth focused
Aboriginal Affairs Minister Tony Buti said he was focused on submitting legislation for the precincts in Perth.
"At the moment we've just got the five precincts that we're looking at," he said.
"But that's been based on the ratio of nightclubs, densities and what the police have told us.
"We'll look at anyone that wants to speak to us about it."
The Liquor Control Amendment (Protected Entertainment Precincts) Bill 2022 is due to be introduced to Parliament next week.
