Advertisements for the Bendigo-based superintendent role have begun after Darren Franks announced he would take a job in Melbourne.

Superintendent Franks said his proudest achievements included his team’s work to drive down crimes like burglaries.

“They’ve been trending down for a year now,” he said.

“Coming out of the crackdown on crime campaign in 2017 we reduced the number of burglary victims just in Bendigo alone by about 150.”

Serious road injuries and deaths have dropped, with Superintendent Franks crediting Highway Patrol officers with helping drive down the number of collisions.

“Let’s hope that keeps up,” he said.

Related:

Superintendent Franks began his current Bendigo-based role in 2016, covering Echuca to the north, Gisborne in the south, Maryborough in the west and Rushworth in the east.

He thanked the community as well as its government leaders for backing police.

“A lot of the reason we did so well with our crime was that connection with our community, including the media, Crime Stoppers and other pieces of work like Eye Watch (Facebook pages).

“To me, how we connected with the community and the results we got was one of the best highlights of the job.”

Superintendent Franks praised his leadership team for their work.

“It’s been wonderful to build a team that is not only successful but also self-motivated. They do their job really well without much advice and guidance. They just get on with it,” he said.

Profile: Darren Franks – from locking up crooks to superintendent

Superintendent Franks will soon head up a division covering Melbourne’s northern suburbs.

Superintendent Franks said there would be differences between his current and new jobs, including more people to manage, a higher crime rate and communities with more immigrants who do not speak English as a first language.

“It’s a challenge. That’s what attracted me to the role,” he said.

That said, Superintendent Franks would miss Bendigo, a city he said had been fantastic to work in.

“I was wrapped to get the job to start with, so it’s a shame to leave it.”

Before he takes up his new job, Superintendent Franks is completing a short stint as Victoria Police’s western region commander.

Have you signed up to the Bendigo Advertiser's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in central Victoria.