Campaspe police have urged residents to help prevent crime and improve community safety during a Neighbourhood Policing Forum at the Echuca Workers Club on August 26.
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The forum gave residents a direct voice on local concerns, with police and community members working together to find practical solutions.
Superintendent Paul Gardiner said police wanted to move beyond simply responding to offences and place a greater focus on prevention.
“I think we need to have a prevention mindset,” Supt Gardiner said.
“We’ve always been really good at being reactive, but I think if we can get into that prevention space to reduce victim impact.”
Crime across the area has dropped by more than 14 per cent, driven by a focused police effort on repeat and high-harm offenders.
“Our challenge now is to keep it there and keep those reductions going,” Supt Gardiner said.
He said maintaining strong relationships with residents was critical to preventing crime.
“The community is our eyes and ears,” he said.
Residents were encouraged to report suspicious behaviour and provide information to police through Crime Stoppers.
Acting Senior Sergeant Paul Van Emmrick said community concerns raised with police included public safety, drugs and alcohol and property security.
A neighbourhood policing team has been established to conduct proactive patrols, while police are also planning an operation targeting e-bikes and e-scooters.
“We rely on a community to come forward and provide the information to us,” Act Sen Sgt Van Emmrick said.
Police have also conducted multiple search warrants in the area and seized drugs, with additional overnight resources planned.
The introduction of reservists at Echuca is expected to allow more full-time police to conduct patrols across the area, including Rochester.
Family violence featured prominently at the forum, with Detective Senior Sergeant Al Duncan making a direct appeal to the community to report incidents without hesitation.
“All family violence is serious,” he said.
“It’s really important for our community to understand that there’s no such thing as minor family violence.”
Det Sen Sgt Duncan reminded residents that family violence extended beyond physical assault to include emotional and verbal abuse, urging anyone affected or aware of a situation to seek help or report it to police.
“We really need to hear from you guys on what’s going on out in the community,” he said.
Youth crime was also discussed, with Leading Senior Constable Shane Roberts saying the proportion of offences involving young people had fallen from 30 per cent to 23 per cent.
Police have focused on prevention and education, including almost 40 school visits that reached more than 3000 students during the past financial year.
“Quite often we only see young people come through the station once, which is really pleasing,” Leading Sen Constable Roberts said.
“We can always do better, and I think there’s always room for more prevention education-type programs.”
Road safety was a sobering topic at the forum, with Acting Sergeant Joseph McKeown revealing that four people had lost their lives on Campaspe roads in the past 12 months and a further 27 had been hospitalised following crashes.
Speed, alcohol, failure to obey signs and a lack of driving skill were identified as contributing factors.
“The main thing to take away I think from today is that although there are lives lost on the roads ... they’re all preventable,” Act Sgt McKeown said.
“None of those offences that have caused fatal collisions are unavoidable.”
Superintendent Gardiner said road deaths remained a major concern across the wider division, with 17 people killed.
He said dangerous driving was not always the result of deliberate risk-taking.
“It’s actually not. It’s that lapse of concentration. It’s that ‘I’ve just checked this text message,’ it’s just a little bit of speed over the limit,” he said.
“In my experience too over the years it is country people that die on country roads.”
Senior Sergeant Len Ladner also urged residents to provide information about drug activity, saying drugs were linked to a range of other crimes and issues.
“Drugs drives a lot of things, a lot of crime, issues, family violence,” he said.
“We’re very much an intelligence-led unit.
“If you hear of anything or see anything you think is suspicious, please call Crime Stoppers.”
Police left residents with a clear message: every piece of information shared with police makes a difference. Community tip-offs help officers target offenders and get ahead of emerging issues before they escalate.