'Locals are fed up' as crime doubles in idyllic Victorian town

Creswick residents say after-dark crime wave is changing their small town Wed 29 Jul 2026 at 7:34am In short: Residents in the regional Victorian town of Creswick say they are the target of opportunistic criminals who hit the town at night when there is no staff at the local police station. They are asking police to have a more active presence in the community at night, but Victoria Police has dismissed the increase in crime as "slight". What's next? The local council has met with police to discuss options, including installing extra CCTV cameras. In the space of four nights, The Farmers Arms Hotel in Creswick was broken into twice. Across the road, Shirl's Cafe has also been broken into multiple times in the past year. For publican Christine Molloy, these are the most obvious signs her quiet home town near Ballarat is changing. "There's been excessive amounts of crime that's been going on, and it seems to be getting worse," Ms Molloy said. Ask any local and they will tell you the same story: this once idyllic town in central Victoria is on edge in the face of a rising crime rate. They say the town is being deliberately targeted after dark by opportunistic criminals because it has no police presence overnight. In the 12 months to March this year, according to state crime statistics, police recorded 313 offences. For the same period in 2023, 188 offences were recorded. While it may not seem much compared with other places, for a country town with just 2,800 people, the change is noticeable. Residents have called on police to have a more active presence after hours. But Victoria Police said the town was still a safe place to live, and called the crime increase "slight". 'While we're all sleeping' Ms Molloy has lived in the town for 18 years and said safety never used to be an issue. "Back in the day, we used to be able to leave our back doors open; everything was always safe," she said. "I want to feel safe again and live in the town that I moved to and I love dearly." When her pub was broken into twice in four days, Ms Molloy put up a $1,000 reward for anyone who could identify the culprit from her CCTV footage, but had no luck. The lack of answers has not helped allay her fears about the way Creswick is changing. Over the road at Shirl's Cafe, owner Warren Porter feels the same, his business having been targeted repeatedly. He said the issue was that culprits — believed to be a group of local youths and out-of-town offenders — felt emboldened to commit crimes because the town was effectively unpoliced overnight. "They [perpetrators] have been out on the street while we're all sleeping," Mr Porter said. "Hopefully, we'll get a copper here down the track who can spend a bit more time here at night." The ABC has seen dozens of social media posts highlighting a group of local youths who are believed to be behind many of the overnight break-ins. Some residents were hesitant to speak to the ABC because of fear of repercussions. The ABC spoke to residents who rang the Creswick police station after hours to report a crime as it was happening, only for the call to get redirected to Bacchus Marsh station, more than 60 kilometres away. Residents have then called Triple Zero (000) in the hope of catching the criminals red-handed, but have been told not to call unless "it's a life-or-death situation". Still a safe place Across Victoria, property offences such as breaking and entering have increased 38 per cent in the past four years, according to Crime Statistics Agency (CSA) figures. But in Creswick, even though it is on a smaller scale, the number has more than doubled, increasing by 114 per cent in three years. Victoria Police said Creswick "remains a safe place to live", but acknowledged there had been a "slight increase in crime". "More than half of all crime in 2025 related to theft, with the most common being theft from motor vehicle," a spokesperson said. "The community can be assured Creswick police station remains well staffed. "We also prioritise rostering more police vehicles out in the community, rather than having highly skilled police sitting behind a desk." Crime is expected to be a key talking point ahead of November's state election, with new RACV data showing one in five Victorians does not feel safe at home. The Victorian government budgeted millions for law and order in this year's budget, as the state grapples with a growing crime rate. The opposition has sustained an ongoing attack on Labor's record on crime, while promising its own suite of tougher sentencing and bail laws if it wins November's state election. Gloves and masks Eilidh McKechnie was home alone with her three young children when someone tried to steal her car in January. "When looking at the footage [CCTV], it seemed very planned,” Ms McKechnie said. "There were gloves, face masks, and other people in the background that I didn't see at the start. "It was really unnerving. I was absolutely beside myself. "Our little sleepy town is unmanned at night at the police station … and [it] hasn't been needed until now. "[But Creswick's] completely changed — I do believe [night patrols] would be really good at deterring a lot of people ever thinking about trying it." Creswick resident and former mayor Tony Clark said police had met with Hepburn Shire Council to address the issue. "It has a ripple effect. Everyone knows about it, and it creates an increased level of concern and fear," Mr Clark said. He said the solution to Creswick's crime problem was not simple. "I'm not entirely sure a manned police station would change the behaviour of what we're seeing," he said. "It may be a solution, but I think there's a whole lot of other things we need to look at first, like CCTV cameras."