After 14 years as a detective in Melbourne and Ballarat, Sergeant Barry Hills has opted for a tree change in Daylesford. 

He says the quieter lifestyle makes for good policing and gave him the opportunity to really work with the community and listen to their needs. 

"I'm sitting down and talking to people more than I ever did in my last role and it's just fantastic," Sergeant Hills said. 

"It's really about working towards a solution before crime occurs and I think we are already doing that a lot around here."

A new policing for prevention strategy will see Sergeant Hills and his team carry out firearm inspections and increased burglary follow ups. 

He said the strategy was a positive step forward for the region. 

"Firearms have the potential to be a major issue in rural towns and we want to make sure that doesn't happen," he said. 

"We'll be out on the road carrying out random firearm inspections on local properties, to ensure all arms are stored correctly."

Sergeant Hills said burglary follow-ups would also be a key priority for the Daylesford team. 

"Burglaries are very low in this region, but we must remain diligent and patrol consistently," he said. 

"It comes down to talking to people and really working with them to target crime. 

"I think there is already a really good rapport with police and the community here, but we want to continue to build on that and create a positive presence."