In November, police started to deploy groups of four dedicated officers, including two on foot and two on bicycle, throughout the CBD and also in Wendouree.

The thinking behind the move was what officers call proactive policing, which involves police having a public presence to help stop crime before it happens.

Sergeant Rick Nield, an experienced Ballarat police officer, said support from traders and the public over summer had been “excellent”.

“Being proactive is the way to go” Sergeant Nield told The Courier this week.

“We’ve noticed a difference, alcohol consumption has pretty well gone in the area, which is good.

“There’s always going to be issues, we’ll never tackle them 100 per cent, but it certainly is under control.

“The people who are doing the wrong things know we’re out and about.”

The most common type of offending police have detected during the patrols has been street crime, including shop thefts and criminal damage.

Often offenders have been arrested at the scene, with a divvy-van called in to transport them to the Dana Street station nearby.

“Ninety-nine per cent of the time officers will catch an offender on the hop or they might see somebody down the street when they know there’s a warrant,” Sergeant Nield said.

“Officers are out walking about and you would think people thinking about offending, or in the act of offending, would see someone in bright yellow - but they don’t. So to be there on the spot – that’s what it’s all about.”

Bridge Mall Traders Association president John Marios said police officers had been engaging with community members.

“It creates a nice outlook and atmosphere for us in the CBD,” he said.

“The mall sometimes gets misrepresented as an unsafe place, but overall ... it’s not as bad as what’s being made out.”