Jenny Wilson, a veteran detective with 28 years service, who rose through the ranks and has two university degrees, started in her job as Ballarat's first female superintendent this week.

Ms Wilson grew up in Melbourne and cut her teeth as a young officer working in the city’s blue-collar suburbs, where she developed a strong interest in investigating sexual assaults.

Based in Melbourne’s crime department until recently, Ms Wilson said on Monday that Victoria Police alone could not arrest its way out of Ballarat’s problems and that a community-wide effort was needed to help stamp out offending.

“The reality now is our environment has become so complex and it’s just not us alone – we need to work with our partner agencies and government agencies,” she said.

“When I talk about the drivers of crime, I’m talking about family violence, our at-risk youth, our vulnerable people – all these are issues we need to tackle.”

Ms Wilson’s appointment comes after Ballarat was selected last year to receive $700,000 in state government funding to help steer 40 high-risk teenagers away from offending as part of a multi-agency response involving Victoria Police and Ballarat Community Health.

She will also oversee officers across the Moorabool policing division, which takes in more than 120 rural towns surrounding Ballarat, stretching from Beaufort to Bacchus Marsh.

“I’m conscious that I represent a much broader community than just Ballarat,” she said.

“My intention in the next few months is to get out and about in those areas. While it might be the headquarters in Ballarat West, I will certainly be going out and working in those towns.”

Ms Wilson was chosen for the role in January following a competitive selection process after Ballarat’s former superintendent, Andrew Allen, stepped down to care for his terminally ill wife.

He will remain attached to the western region in a non-operational position.

As for being the first woman in the top job, Ms Wilson said she was proud.

“If someone picks up The Courier and reads out to their child that there’s the first woman in this position and they’re inspired by that, well I think that’s a really great thing.”