The number of people caught using methamphetamine, or ‘ice’, in Melton has quadrupled in the past three years, new data shows.
And ice users are increasingly involved in violent crimes, police claim.
While cannabis is still the drug people are most commonly caught with [126 arrests in the 12 months to March 31 this year], there were 100 methamphetamine arrests in the same period.
The Crime Statistics Agency released a research report earlier this month analysing the types of drugs that have driven the hike in drug use and possession offences in Victoria over the past decade.
There were no ‘ice’ arrests recorded in Melton in the same 12-month period to March 31, 2006, but the number jumped to 24 in 2013, to 45 the next year and 86 last year.
Report author Melanie Millsteed said the research had targeted the types of drugs being used around the state, as well as the characteristics of offenders.
Melton police tasking and co-ordination inspector Warren Green said users of ice and those using amphetamines were committing similar offences, often property offences but also crimes involving violence.
“The first [property offences] is to fund the drug use, and the second [violence] because they lose their ability to think rationally and lose control of their senses.”
Inspector Green attributed the jump in ice use to its availability and affordability.
Of the seven categories of drugs offences, only amphetamines (such as ‘speed’) and heroin offences declined significantly in the 12 months to March 31 this year in Melton.
Cannabis offences fell slightly, by 2.32 per cent, in the same period.
Ecstasy offences jumped by 36 per cent, and methamphetamines by 16 per cent. (Methamphetamine is a crystallised, more potent, form of amphetamine.)
Offences involving other drugs, including GHB and LSD, rose by 33 per cent, and prescription drug offences rose by 29 per cent.
“Not all, but some drug users are changing the types of drugs they’re using,” Ms Millsteed said.
“People [are] switching from powdered forms to crystal forms.”
