"We need to get that safe feeling back for residents.
"This has got to the serious stage and having security standing guard outside our banks is one of the measures we need right now. At the moment, the key thing is to reassure business people and residents.
"I have asked for a meeting with police today and I'll be having a chat with Chamber of Commerce members and the Community Patrol, too."
Mrs Collis said she wants to see what, as a community, we can put together to go beyond this present crisis to enable people to be safe in our district.
"What role can we all play in making our community safer? I want to give a clear message to people that they can feel safe here. Any resident who has concerns, or ideas for additional security, the district council is happy to look at them.
"We're not having a good run at the moment."
When Binh Van Long, the manager at the Saigon Restaurant and Bar feared for his life when a knife-wielding man demanded cash, he felt alone and scared.
But, he's insists after a recent spate of aggravated robberies in Dannevirke, we must have a community-led solution.
High St businesswoman Maria Edwards says she believes this isn't just a Dannevirke problem.
"It's the way the country is, really," she said. "It's not just Dannevirke, look at Auckland."
* Anyone with information on any crime can contact Dannevirke police on 06 374 4500 or give information anonymously via the Crimestoppers line 0800 555 111.