3 minute read
Farming safety solutions
Editorial: Danielle Ford
Photography: Brendan McCarthy
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.
“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.
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.
Avoca resident and business owner Lyn Mather chats with local police officers Ldg Sen Const Dale Harrison and Ldg Sen Const Mark Bowker at her café.
“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.
“But having a regular committee meeting where police can update the community and residents can bring any concerns to the table is wonderful.”
Insp Davison said the network had proven to be a great way to further build the strong connection between police and the community.
“You find in the regional areas that residents really like to get to know their local police,” he said.
“But through the Community Safety Networks we’ve seen more communities engage with police and really take ownership of their safety.”
In addition to the Ballarat and Pyrenees programs, Community Safety Networks have also been set up in Brimbank, Cardinia, Frankston, Dandenong, the Geelong and Bellarine area, Shepparton, Knox, Latrobe, Melton, Whittlesea and Wyndham.
Priority Communities Division Acting Commander Murray Fraser said the networks had been well supported in all areas, with each program receiving great support from several community groups as well as police in the regions.
“I am tremendously proud of what we have achieved to date under the Community Safety Networks project,” A/Cmdr Fraser said.
“Supporting our frontline members to develop innovative ideas to reach into their local community has been incredibly valuable.
“The networks have also enabled us to work more closely with key partners such as Neighbourhood Watch, CrimeStoppers Victoria, and the Crime Statistics Agency.”
