What's changed in the weeks since traders appealed for help tackling "out of control" antisocial behaviour in the Bridge Mall precinct?
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Not a lot according to some of those worst-affected.
The small all-female team at Little Bridge Street business Rose's Massage has experienced relentless harassment by apparent juveniles in recent months, including repeated disruption during appointments with clients.
Punyupa Chamnongsart this week told The Courier she had noticed a modest decrease in unwelcome visits in the past few weeks, but said she generally still felt unsafe coming to work.
"They were gone for a couple weeks, then they came back," Ms Chamnongsart said of the young alleged offenders caught on camera hurling racial abuse inside the premises.
"They know we've got a [CCTV] camera but they still find a way - they bash on our glass wall and frighten our 'customers.
"I still see them around making everyone feel unsafe."
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Ms Chamnongsart said she had not seen evidence of an increased police presence in the area, as promised several weeks ago when more than a dozen traders met with City of Ballarat Council and police to air their safety concerns.
She questioned why more CCTV cameras had not been installed or more protective services officers deployed "especially at bus stop, Little Bridge Street and Bridge Mall".
"It's not our job to put up with these things that are happening all the time," she said.
"The police should reach out more to parents and schools to take further actions - they have the faces [on camera]."
Liberal MP Joe McCracken said he had not had a response to his February request to police minister Anthony Carbines to visit Bridge Mall.
Mr McCracken said a $700,000 state government community safety grant "clearly hasn't worked as well as what it should have" and that "we should be looking at all options, which would include CCTV cameras, increased patrols and deterrent lighting, amongst others".
"Clearly the Premier isn't supporting Victoria Police enough when we have local traders afraid to open their doors," Mr McCracken said, referring to recent comments by Daniel Andrews on a visit to Ballarat.
"Nobody is being critical of Victoria Police - we just want to ensure there are enough resources to keep our community safe."
When asked if any further state government funding would be allocated to address traders' concerns, Wendouree MP Juliana Addison said the Andrews Government had "invested a record $4.5 billion to ensure police have the tools and resources they need to keep our community safe" and "implemented a range of initiatives that aim to improve community safety in Ballarat".
"Everyone has the right to feel safe and secure in their workplace - and any reports of harassment or threatening behaviour should be reported to Victoria Police," Ms Addison said.
Acting Ballarat Sergeant Dominic Alderman said police were working with the council to make the area "less comfortable for people that choose to hang around there and cause trouble and drink".
Sergeant Alderman said he had personally visited local businesses to check in in recent weeks and found the situation was "developing in a positive way," but added change would take time.
"It's not a very good look for Ballarat, so we're doing our best to change things around," he said.
"I think some of the people that are loitering in the area are probably going to choose to go elsewhere over time - we've got things in place where we're targeting certain times and days where we're making sure we're there to move them on, fine them, whatever it might be.
"We've increased our patrols and we've noticed a decrease in complaints and calls in relation to antisocial behaviour.
"But it's one of those things - because it's been happening for so long, it's not something we can change overnight.
"It's just the nature of the fact it's a busy, community hub with lots of people coming- we're never going to get rid of it, but obviously we would like to really make sure we drive down those statistics in relation to those calls."
Sergeant Alderman supported the installation of more CCTV cameras and the relocation of the Little Bridge Street bus stop to be opposite the police station, but acknowledged funding may not be available to achieve these.
He said it was difficult to deal with juvenile offenders by contacting parents and schools as the parents were sometimes "part of the cause", and offenders usually did not wear school uniforms.
"We are, as police, still viewing that area as a place where we're wanting to see positive change," he said.
"For disconnected youth, we've got various things we can put in place to assist but some people don't want to be helped - and a lot of youth these days, they don't know what they want."
Bridge Mall Business Association says it is "working on improving our cameras in the area, updating technologies and giving Vic Pol greater access to the cameras".
The group confirmed police have "started visiting businesses in the precinct to discuss any concerns that shop keepers and staff may have".
"We are currently working through these issues and isolated incidents of anti-social behaviour with Vic Pol, who have been very responsive and accommodating to working with us and our needs with the issues faced," spokesperson Shane Donnithorne said.
"Generally the area is very safe and the incidents are isolated cases, and they are not restricted to just this precinct, it is an issue faced in a many areas around Ballarat," he said.