$450K vandalism and theft losses to Zions Hill Church since ownership

Senior pastor Merrilyn Billing from Zions Hill told The Examiner the church has "had enough of the situation" and "the lawlessness cannot continue."

The pastor has appealed to humanitarian groups, the police, the government, and the general public to take action wherever possible.

"Since the church took ownership of the property, we've experienced more than 1,000 acts of vandalism. Just yesterday, another few windows were smashed.

"We've had one of our minibuses burnt, and other vehicles had their tyres slashed. We've had many break-ins and a lot of theft," pastor Billing said.

Two weeks ago, trespassers broke in, smashed the security cameras, and destroyed the property's alarm system.

"Unfortunately, the police are understaffed, and it can take about six hours for them to arrive. No one's ever been arrested in all the years we have been here," pastor Billing said.

Ride-on mowers, musical instruments, and workshop equipment are just some of the items stolen from the church.

"There is a Work for the Dole group that works in the back area. They recently had their commercial fridge smashed, and a lot of equipment was stolen. So it's not just the church's stuff that is being stolen," pastor Billing said.

Pastor Billing thinks that it is mostly youth who commit these crimes, but sometimes it's adults and high unemployment rates in Ravenswood are one of the main causes.

Recounting one of the more dangerous incidents, pastor Billing said, "One of our people was confronted by someone in the building with a crowbar in one hand and scissors in the other, and they had a hockey mask on."

Zions Hill church is known for supporting the community with free food, youth programs and its Op Shop. It also regularly hosts various national conferences.

Due to the ongoing spike in crime at the church, many of its resources are being drained in repair and replacement costs.

Zions Hill has plans for future property development and an events and creative arts centre; however, these plans are at risk of being hijacked.

The Esk Market was forced to close at the end of last year due to the lack of financial support and also break-ins occurring on the property.

Pastor Billing said, "I feel like the police have to take this seriously, and I think we need more humanitarian and government support."

There has been some national government funding in the past for churches and schools to secure their properties better through grants. However, Zions Hill has yet to receive any grant funding and would ideally use any funding to repair its windows with more substantial material and rebuild its security system.

In the meantime, pastor Billings says the church will need to do some fundraisers to repair all those windows and the security system.

"The majority of people in the community are beautiful people. It's just a small number that gets away with anything now."