Steve Schembri says Caroline Springs residents feel local police are losing the battle against young criminals. Credit:Paul Jeffers "You have to take note of your surroundings these days. You drive with your car locked, especially at night and early in the morning." He believes crime in the area exploded after the Moomba youth gang riots in March last year. The Summersault Festival in Caroline Springs was also targeted by youths this February, when dozens of teenagers stampeded through the family event, allegedly stealing mobile phones, throwing rocks and assaulting people watching a fireworks display. Another woman, who spoke to The Age on the condition of anonymity, is part of a growing number of residents who have packed up and sold what was once their dream home in Caroline Springs.

Police have no plans to make the Caroline Springs station 24-hour, despite pleas from residents. Credit:Paul Jeffers "I feared for the lives of my two young children," she said. "We moved here 10 years ago to bring up a family in a safe community but it's all changed." Before the family moved this year, her husband would sleep with a knife under his pillow each night. Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton and Premier Daniel Andrews have flagged their concerns over youth crime. Credit:Justin McManus "One night we heard a gang of teenagers trying to break into the house at about two in the morning and that was it for us," she said.

"I couldn't live like that any more." Michelle Denaro, who lives in the nearby suburb of Hillside, said her family lived in fear of a home invasion after an attempted aggravated burglary last November. Her husband ran outside wielding a baseball bat and deterred the youths, who jumped their back fence, but it took police more than an hour to arrive after the ordeal. "We've got a plan now," Ms Denaro said. "I hide in the wardrobe and call the police. My two sons barricade themselves in their bedrooms and my husband stays out to defend our house."

In the four years to 2016, crime in the 3023 postcode – which takes in suburbs such as Caroline Springs, Deer Park and Ravenhall – increased by more than 17 per cent, according to the latest Crime Statistics Agency data. In Caroline Springs alone, crime has risen by 12.5 from 2015 to 2016. Mr Schembri said he feared the wave of crime would not be brought under control. "I love my community and it breaks my heart to see it go down this road," he said, adding that locals would feel much safer if they had a police station open 24 hours. But Melton Police Inspector Kathryn Rudkins said there were no plans to make Caroline Springs a 24-hour station.

"We prefer to have our police out on the road detecting and responding to crime rather than sitting in police stations," she said. "We are cracking down on people wanted on warrants, ensuring offenders are complying with their strict bail conditions, and managing persons of interest. "Our intelligence analysts are forming a picture of the offending to determine why and where it is happening so that we are able to prevent it." Mr Schembri is one of a growing number of residents who are mobilising into large Facebook groups to defend their homes. He dismissed police claims they were "vigilantes". He said locals shared information, including CCTV footage of aggravated burglaries in the area, to increase safety and vigilance.

"The fact is, if you're the victim of carjacking in the middle of the night, you can't drive to the local police station and seek help because there is nobody there." Police Minister Lisa Neville said she had visited Caroline Springs in recent months to hear residents' concerns. "There is no doubt that some of the crime issues we are seeing has caused concern and fear in communities and that is why we have funded not only more police and equipment, but are introducing new laws and longer sentencing to better enable police to detect and disrupt this crime," she said. "We know our communities need more police and we have worked hand-in-hand with the chief commissioner to deliver the resources he needs to tackle crime across Victoria, including Melbourne's booming western suburbs."

