Melbourne residents are pooling their money to pay private security guards to patrol their neighbourhoods as crime spirals out of control.

A report in the Herald Sun found that in some housing estates, people were spending up to $3000 a night for guards to act as deterrents against home invasions and car theft.

Car theft across Victoria was up by 18 percent on the same time last year.

Meanwhile, police are reporting difficulties in recruiting people to fill a reported shortfall of 800 officers.

In one estate at Wyndham Vale residents had paid for 24/7 patrols in response to a spike in aggravated burglaries and car thefts.

Security firms had been similarly employed to guard homes in Camberwell, Hawthorn, Kew, Toorak, Brighton, Caulfield and Balwyn.

A spokesman for ART Security in Melbourne said the demand was unsurprising given police staffing shortages.

“With the lack of police enforcement resources I am not surprised residents are looking and considering all options to protect their homes and families from theft,” he said.

“Houses are unfortunately broken into and it appears even in broad daylight.

“The break-ins in those areas are mainly targeting luxury cars and jewellery.”

The latest crime figures show car thefts across the state rose 18 per cent on last year, while 216 people had been charged with burglary in just the past three months.

A Victoria Police spokesman that since March 25 there had been 813 arrests including 216 for burglaries and car thefts.