Residents in regional Victoria hire security patrols over crime fears

Private security firm starts patrolling Ballarat streets in response to crime surge Thu 25 Jun 2026 at 11:20am In short: A private company says it is offering night-time residential security patrols to curb crime in the Victorian city of Ballarat. The company says it will expand its services across more parts of Ballarat if there is community interest. What's next? Police are urging security providers to be cautious, and for residents to call Triple Zero in an emergency. A private security company has started night-time patrols in Ballarat in response to concerns from residents about a crime rise in the regional Victorian city. On Monday night, Z Protection Services began patrols for over 20 residential addresses from 10pm to 5am. The company says it is offering two or three patrols every night in a security vehicle for residents. The Victorian government's latest crime data shows an 11.7 per cent increase in crime incidents in Ballarat over the 12 months to March 2026. It also revealed Ballarat's per capita crime rate was just above 9,000 crimes per 100,000 people, significantly higher than the state average of about 6,500 crimes. 'Not trying to replace police' Z Protection Services business operations manager Gerard Faulkner said the company was aiming to prevent crime before it happens. "The whole security idea is [to be a] deterrent,"Mr Faulkner said. "If someone is there and he's thinking of doing the wrong thing, he should think twice, he should leave." He said the company was not trying to replace police operations. "If a crime is actively happening, security can't do anything about it, so [the police] can be called straight away," Mr Faulkner said. "We're not competing with police. If we have any trouble, we're going to call the police." Mr Faulkner said the goal was to deter smaller crimes, freeing up the police to handle more serious offences. It is not the first time a private security company has been called into a Victorian community. In 2025, Wyndham Council voted to fund security patrols in Truganina in Melbourne's west. A Victoria Police spokesperson urged residents to always call Triple Zero (000) in an emergency. "While security patrols may serve as a deterrent for would-be offenders, we would still encourage security workers and residents not to take the law into their own hands," the spokesperson said. Surging crime Crime rates have been rising in Ballarat since 2021, according to the latest state government crime data. Ballarat Security Operations managing director Ben Burgess said he had also seen a rise in private security. His company focuses on commercial security for small businesses and restaurants. "In the last 12 months, we've had such an increase in demand, we've actually added a second patrol car,"Mr Burgess said. Ballarat division Detective Inspector Andrew Brady said police were focused on getting crime under control. "I acknowledge the angst and the concern in the community around vehicle crime, but I must urge them not to [take matters into their own hands]," Inspector Brady said. "They have police. We are trained, we're equipped to go to these situations." A complement to CCTV A specialist investigator with Peregrine Investigations and former Victoria Police detective, Graeme Simpfendorfer, told Victorian Statewide Drive that he was surprised residents were taking these measures, but could understand the frustrations from the community. He said having a patrol could certainly work to deter crime. "A physical deterrent of a patrol is quite significant in my experience. It can turn offenders away," he said. "It just depends on how determined these offenders are in what they want to achieve. "I've viewed countless hours of CCTV footage where even serious crime, but also volume crime occurs, and you can actually see the moments where there was a passing car, or passing patrol, or someone on a push bike." Mr Simpfendorfer said patrols could be used to complement CCTV systems, and he could understand why victims of crime, especially, might spend money on a patrol. "I'm not sure it's for every different community, but if there's enough people there that are concerned, and genuinely concerned … then it may be as simple as peace of mind," he said. "I guess the data will show in time if it's had an impact. "Whether crime has decreased in those particular areas or not."