Farming safety solutions If you live in the middle of a major city, chances are farm crimes, such as livestock theft, aren’t a pressing issue. But for residents in the rural Pyrenees area in Western Victoria, they’re among their top concerns, according to the results of a community safety survey. The survey was conducted as part of the Victorian Government-funded Community Safety Networks, which have been set up in 12 communities across the state to give residents a greater voice in Victoria Police’s ongoing efforts to combat crime. The Pyrenees Community Safety Network was established as part of the larger Ballarat Community Safety Network after Inspector Dan Davison identified the need to focus on the specific needs of the rural region. “The Pyrenees falls into the Ballarat Police Service Area but it’s a very different community with very different needs and safety concerns,” Insp Davison said.
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POLICE LIFE | SPRING 2019
“So when Ballarat was chosen as one of the 12 areas to have a Community Safety Network set up, we worked with the program to have the Pyrenees establish its own survey and program.” Nearly 400 people from the Pyrenees area completed the community safety survey, with results revealing the top three safety concerns as road safety, dangerous driving and farm crime. With the agricultural industry being one of the biggest sources of employment in the area, Avoca Sergeant Mick Rentsch said it wasn’t surprising to see farm crime highlighted as a main concern. “It’s a common crime reported in the area due to the number of farms there are,” Sgt Rentsch said. “Livestock theft is the most common farm crime and can have a huge financial impact on local farmers.” Following the survey, local police established the Pyrenees Community Safety Advisory Group in collaboration with other community stakeholders to address the concerns identified.
The group travelled through the area in June to engage with the local community and identify possible solutions to safety concerns. The committee will now meet on a bimonthly basis to ensure residents continue to be provided with accurate information and resources about local crime trends and safety issues, including crime prevention advice. Lyn Mather, who owns a café in the Pyrenees town of Avoca, is a community representative on the committee and said it’s important for residents to have a place where they can raise their concerns with police. “While we may not have the safety concerns that some bigger cities have, there are still issues in a small town like Avoca and surrounding towns, which are often quite specific,” Ms Mather said. “Our local police are always helpful and good at letting us know if there’s anything happening. “But having a regular committee meeting where police can update the community and residents can bring any concerns to the table is wonderful.”
