Targeted police operations are bearing fruit as Melton’s crime rate tumbles.
Data released by the Crime Statistics Agency last week revealed a 10.4 per cent fall in offences recorded in Melton for the year to March – to 10,443, down from 11,650.
The main drivers behind the tumbling crime rates were significant drops in property and deception offences (7119 to 5889), drug offences (588 to 452) and public order and security offences (586 to 521).
Burglary and break and enter offences decreased from 1278 to 1021
(20.1 per cent), theft from 4436 to 3492
(21.3 per cent) and arson from 98 to 76 (22.4 per cent).
Melton local area commander Kathy Rudkins said targeted operations to address high-volume crime had led to significant reductions in burglaries and thefts.
“Melton police hit the streets of Melbourne’s outer west every day and night in an effort to keep the community safe,” Inspector Rudkins said.
“Residents have also played a vital role in reducing this kind of opportunistic crime by ensuring their doors, windows [and] cars are locked and valuables are secure.
“The community has provided police with invaluable assistance in reporting suspicious behaviour such as loiterers outside properties.
“Their sets of eyes and ears and the information they’ve passed on has led to significant arrests.
“However, there is more work to be done.”
Dangerous and negligent acts endangering people climbed from 187 to 221, driving an overall increase in crimes against the person from 1762 to 1903.
Inspector Rudkins said that a spike in robbery from 68 to 93 offences was worrying.
“We have seen an increase in robberies, recording 25 more offences than in the previous 12 months, with mobile phones being commonly targeted,” she said.
“This is a worrying trend for police which is why we are conducting additional patrols in known hot spots and targeting recidivist offenders.”
Sexual offences were also up – to 268 from 218 a year ago while stalking, harassment and threatening behaviour soared from 304 to 337 (up 9.7 per cent) .
Moorabool crime was also down by nine per cent, driven by a significant decline in property and deception offences as well as crimes against the person.
Information: crimestatistics.vic.gov.au
