Drug dealing and pyromania in broad daylight, sprays cans in action and 'commuters' at a shelter for two hours without even catching a bus. Police in Ballarat's CBD say what they're seeing has to stop.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
An undercover mid-week exercise earlier this month helped police plan Operation Praesidium ("Guardian"), a long-term initiative to drive down anti-social behaviour and crime in general around the shopping precinct.
![Ballarat police say to make the CBD safer we should rethink dark-coloured laneways, bus shelter designs, broken security cameras, years-old graffiti and 'park at your own risk' signs. Pictures supplied Ballarat police say to make the CBD safer we should rethink dark-coloured laneways, bus shelter designs, broken security cameras, years-old graffiti and 'park at your own risk' signs. Pictures supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/177877894/45f3d063-cf03-4ae1-9897-f85f3a28b8b2.JPG/r31_50_1700_1006_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Inspector Jason Templar said what drones and plain-clothes police witnessed that day was a shock.
"What we saw was confronting - and we're all hardened police officers," he said.
"My aim is to make the area safe and for people to feel safe there - they are two different things.
"This kind of operation has worked in places like Mexico, Portugal and the UK.
"We put ourselves in the shoes of offenders - and victims of crime as well - to understand the area and its issues from their perspectives. While this operation is simplistic in nature, it'll tackle the key drivers of crime and anti-social behaviour.
"We're working with many groups and sections of the community to make the centre of Ballarat a safer place - especially in and around Bridge Mall and the transport hub.
"We'll know it's been successful if there's been a sustainable reduction in crime over time - and improved perceptions of safety.
"This response model is the first trial of its kind in Victoria."
![Inspector Templar is keen for this kind of signage to be more frequent - and include the penalty. Picture by Gabrielle Hodson. Inspector Templar is keen for this kind of signage to be more frequent - and include the penalty. Picture by Gabrielle Hodson.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/177877894/4ca951e5-bf6d-4e9b-a675-652688bba114.JPG/r0_0_1275_897_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Inspector Templar said alcohol - which fuelled aggression and assault - was the number one problem in the CBD. "It needs to be made harder to steal," he said.
"There are a few outlets that have giant security camera screens at the front door. That's a great idea because from a crook's perspective, it really puts them off trying to take anything."
RELATED COVERAGE:
Inspector Templar also said some of the existing signs prohibiting the carrying of open cans or bottles of alcohol were too small, too sparse, too wordy and failed to explain the penalty.
"It's very easy for someone not to see these signs - and where is the deterrent? People need to know there may be a large fine or that they will be prosecuted," he said.
He was also concerned about 'park at own risk' signs - which he said could send an unintended message.
The day-long surveillance exercise also revealed to police that about one in 15 passengers were actually paying their fare and swiping their Myki cards.
Inspector Templar said Ballarat police were working closely with council to identify crime-busting solutions in the built environment.
These included the removal of the eastern - and most problematic - bus shelter along Little Bridge Street, as well as issues linked to seating, removal of barriers that allowed offenders to hide and lighter and brighter laneways.
Easy-to-tag surfaces were also an issue.
"If the graffiti is gone straight away, we find it eases off. The offenders have no incentive," Inspector Templar said.
"We also want to see broken security cameras repaired and maintained. If something has wires hanging out of it - and has been that way for years - what message is that sending?"
Police said 'heat map' studies of reported offending in the Ballarat CBD showed that most of it happened on weekdays between 12.30pm and 6pm.
The worst times included Tuesdays between midday and 1pm, Thursdays between 1pm and 2pm and Fridays between 3pm and 4pm.
"It's concentrated in the afternoon and these are possibly kids who do not go to school and are waiting around for their mates - or maybe even their soft targets," Inspector Templar said.
"Saturdays are busy from 5pm to 6pm and on Sundays we don't see much offending at all. This is possibly because most of the shops are closed and there is no one around to report it."
The inspector believed around 30-50 people were committing 90 per cent of the crime in the Bridge Mall, Curtis Street and Bridge Street areas.
"Operation Praesidium will be a different kind of operation - and we want to see good outcomes for the community in six to 12 months," he said.
Sign up to receive The Courier's news alerts straight to your inbox.