Robberies have halved in Melton in the past 12 months, and a special police taskforce is getting the credit.
The latest Crime Statistics Agency figures show there were 34 robbery offences, including armed robbery, in Melton in 2015 compared with 64 the year before. In 2011, Melton had more than 80 robbery offences.
Melton’s overall crime rate rose more than 11 per cent in 2015, with the biggest jump in breaches of court orders.
Senior Sergeant Cameron Reinke said the Embona taskforce monitored robberies and known offenders in Melton and Brimbank.
Early intervention, before offenders went on crime sprees, and alert businesses installing closed-circuit TV systems were helping to drive the number of offences down, he said.
“A lot of the times they are repeat offenders,” Senior Sergeant Reinke added.
“But when a crime occurs, we identify the offenders as quickly as possible, locate them and potentially remand them so they can’t commit more offences. We take it very seriously and put a lot of time and effort into it.”
Young offenders
Meanwhile, burglaries jumped by 10 per cent in 2015 and theft was up by 15 per cent, mainly because of car theft and theft from vehicles.
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton told radio station 3AW most of these crimes were committed by youth offenders, in what he dubbed the “grand theft auto generation”.
Senior Sergeant Reinke said Melton police had also noticed an increase in youth offenders, but there was no “youth gang culture” in the municipality as in other parts of the state.
He said many of the offences committed by teenagers, such as theft, were petty, but some offenders as young as 15 had been charged with robbery and armed robbery.
“There are youths who will commit serious offences,” he said. “Just because of their age, it doesn’t mean the seriousness is diminished.”
The 40 per cent increase in court order breaches and 25 per cent rise in stalking could potentially be attributed to the 12 per cent rise in domestic violence, Senior Sergeant Reinke said.
Many of the stalking and assault crimes were committed against victims known by their perpetrators. Senior Sergeant Reinke said domestic violence reports were rising because victims were feeling more confident about going to the police.
