THERE have been some promising signs this week that authorities may finally be listening to the community on important law and order issues.Yesterday, the state government announced proposed amendments to the Liquor Control Reform Act and Summary Offences Act which will significantly increase fines for anti-social behaviour.On-the-spot fines for drunk and disorderly behaviour will rise from $478 to more than $590 for the first offence and $1100 for a second offence.New offences and harsher penalties for people already removed from licensed venues are also proposed. It comes after a concerted push from the public across regional and metropolitan centres to tackle alcohol-fuelled crime on our streets.In Ballarat, a survey conducted by this newspaper as part of the Had Enough campaign, showed that community confidence in the actions of authorities to quell street crime ? and the penalties handed out to offenders ? is below expectations. People have called for more action, and tougher penalties are a good start.Clearly, crime remains a sensitive issue. This week the government requested an ombudsman's investigation into how vital assault statistics were left out of figures released by Victoria Police. There have long been suggestions that crime figures were open to interpretation, and events of this week add weight to that theory. The Ted Baillieu-led Coalition picked up on community safety issues in the lead-up to last year's state election, promising more police and new stations for our city. With the proposed legislative amendments, clearly authorities are beginning to listen.Minister for Consumer Affairs Michael O'Brien this week said the Coalition would deliver on election commitments to give police and licensees stronger powers to crack down on antisocial behaviour in and around licensed venues. We welcome these announcements but there are many that remain outstanding, including how many more police will be stationed in Ballarat and when our new police stations will be operational.Positively, Victoria Police announced this week that it would soon be filling vacancies in some of the smaller regional towns in the Ballarat district that have been understaffed in recent times.It seems the message is getting through. Let's hope that continues to be the case.