‘They really tried to take us out’: Ballarat mum targeted after exposing crime

When Ballarat mother Tanika started a Facebook page exposing crime in her hometown, she never expected her family to become a target.

A car in her yard was torched in a suspected arson attack, with gas canisters and makeshift wicks found at the scene.

“They really tried to take us out,” Tanika told A Current Affair.

Her children were left terrified.

“I had kids screaming for approximately an hour after it. I’ve got a 10-year-old very concerned that the house is gonna go up in flames next.“

Despite the attack, Tanika and her partner Scott have no plans to stop running their community Facebook page, where they post CCTV of alleged offenders and help people track down allegedly stolen property.

“I was just fed up with seeing the recurrent crime going on in Ballarat. So I just decided that someone needed to create a page to keep the community informed.“

Fellow Ballarat resident Courtney turned to the page after her car was stolen earlier this year.

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Six weeks later, Tanika and Scott found its burnt-out remains in bushland.

“I was angry. I think I was more angry because it was taken away from my kids,” Courtney said.

Victorian government data shows Ballarat’s crime rate has risen 11.7 per cent in the past year, with almost 60 per cent of recorded offences unsolved.

Victoria Police told A Current Affair a dedicated vehicle theft team has been formed in Ballarat, making 175 arrests and recovering more than 400 stolen cars since March.

Police also urged people to be mindful when posting information about police matters on social media.

Tanika says she is determined to continue her fight.

Attributable to a Victoria Police spokesperson:

Police in Ballarat - from general duties to detectives and Highway Patrol – work around-the-clock to respond to, investigate and prevent crime.

In addition to 24/7 patrols, a dedicated vehicle theft team works day and night to identify and hold prolific car thieves to account.

Since March, the team has made 175 arrests and recovered more than 400 stolen cars, with many of those responsible being recidivist offenders who are on the radar of police.

We also regularly run operations alongside specialist police, including the Air Wing, Dog Squad and Public Order Response Team, who deploy from Melbourne to target high-harm crime.

Victoria Police is aware of several online community pages and understands people want to share and discuss what is happening in their neighbourhoods.

While community engagement and awareness are important, we encourage people to be mindful when sharing information about police matters on social media and public forums.

Sharing unverified information can unintentionally spread misinformation, compromise investigations and impact both victims and witnesses involved.

We encourage victims and witnesses to always report crime to police so it can be properly investigated.

Ballarat police are highly trained and equipped to respond to reports of crime and remain available 24 hours a day to keep the community safe.