By Dongyun Kwon
As part of the CCTV campaign, Star Mail looked back at the significant incidents in each township after the CCTV network was not maintained properly due to the lack of funding.
After crime peaked across Yarra Ranges in 2016, there was a correlation between CCTV cameras being installed and the reduction in crime over the next three years but it cannot be confirmed if one impacted the other directly.
The number of total crime incidents peaked in 2016 with a total number of 6308.
The number reduced by 7.3 per cent in 2017 and dropped again by 5.7 per cent in the following year.
After the final funding was distributed, the incident number soared dramatically by 10.8 per cent in 2019 and increased by 3.8 per cent again in the following year.
What criminal incidents happened in Yarra Glen and Healesville after the CCTV network was not maintained properly?
2019
In April, the Healesville Jewellers was targeted by thieves who stole a wooden puzzle box.
Police told the Star Mail that a male and female offender entered the store, and left without paying for the item.
2021
Shorelec Electrical Wholesaler was targeted by thieves who set off with thousands of dollars worth of stock in a robbery in early May.
A few weeks later, his home was burgled again.
A group of youths comprising four females and three males attempted to break into the Yarra Glen Railway Station on Saturday 13 November.
2023
In March, Healesville Jewellers, the Sloppy Seconds clothing shop and Payten and Jones Winery were targeted for burglaries, leaving owners devastated.
The front window of over 30 years operated local jewellery shop was smashed in two places.
The store was mostly secure due to the alarm system and security shutters but a few items were stolen through the front window.
The shop owner was shaken up by the incident.
Sloppy Seconds lost about $300 worth of identifiable men’s designer clothing.
The clothing shop closed down in the following month.
It was the second time Payten and Jones Winery had been targeted.
The offenders tried to enter through the rear of the building, before smashing through a glass door on the side of the building, entering and then setting off the alarm.
Yarra Glen Primary School was targeted for a break-in in July.
The offenders broke into the Yarra Glen Primary School’s chicken coop, letting the chickens out in the process, and used the school’s own eggs in the offence, heading around to the front of the school from the back where the coop was located and threw the eggs to the windows.
2024
When the severe storms hit the Yarra Valley in February, Healesville’s Monroe’s Burger and Beers found the impact of the storms even harsher due to an unexpected incident.
The team found someone had deliberately turned off their generator right before they reopened the shop after the severe weather event.
Everything in the fridges went off due to this incident, and the team lost $3000 worth of stock as well as three days of sales opportunity.
Overnight on a weekend in March, motor vehicles were broken into on Furmston Lane in Healesville.
Saint Paul’s Anglican Church Yarra Glen was attacked by vandals in October.
The offenders broke the windows with stones and smashed a downpipe.
In November, rubbish bins on Healesville main street were set on fire.
Healesville CFA captain Brian Earl told the Star Mail someone had set two rubbish bins alight and had tried to set two more bins alight.
Terminus Hotel in Healesville was targeted for a burglary just after midnight on 18 December.
2025
9News reported a staff member of the Village Grocer was allegedly punched several times by a gang of teenagers.
On 2 January, the Healesville grocery store worker tried to stop the three teenagers who allegedly stole bottles of alcohol before attempting to run from the scene.
The store worker was allegedly punched in the head and kicked several times by the teenage girls.
On 28 February, the Star Mail confirmed with the Victoria Police the investigation for this incident remained ongoing.
The latest incident happened on Sunday 23 February in Healesville.
Cherry Tree Cafe owner Stephen Tuohy was shocked when he opened the cafe around 7.30am as he found the back garden was messed up.
Mr Tuohy’s partner Petra Buest who runs the cafe with him said Mr Tuohy saw plants turned over and a trolley, which was normally in the storeroom, in the middle of the garden.
“Our back gate was broken open and then (Stephen) went in and saw that the storeroom door was open as well, which (the offenders) had broken open,” she said.
“We had certain items in the storage, which were taken.
“One of them was an antique coffee machine. We had five fans that we were going to put into the shop that were taken and an electric bike that was taken as well.
“A wine fridge and some beverages were taken too.”
On that night, people were staying in the Airbnb accommodation located upstairs in the same building.
Ms Buest said they assumed the break-in happened around 1.30am.
“The Airbnb users woke up and they saw a person entering the door (around 1.30am),” she said.
“They thought it might have been us, cleaner or someone else, and they didn’t think anything more of it.
“They were able to leave a statement with the police, confirming that there had been a person in and confirming the time as well.”
The cafe owners had planned to install a CCTV camera in the back garden before the incident happened, originally to check whether the tables were empty or not through their mobile phones.
“(The offenders) didn’t come from the front of the cafe. The whole cafe hasn’t been disturbed at all. They came from the backside,” Ms Buest said.
“We were surprised by it because we thought (if someone broke into our cafe,) they were going to enter from the front and maybe try and look for money.
“We didn’t think that someone would know what’s in that storeroom. It’s so unusual that they would just target the storeroom.”
The cafe owner raised concerns regarding the increased criminal incidents in the town.
“It’s frustrating because there are others who have been targeted,” Ms Buest said.
“The next door was targeted as well but they didn’t get through.
“The Terminus (Hotel Healesville) was targeted as well. I’ve read it in the newspaper.”
