Residents assured over crime figures

By Kath Gannaway
YARRA Ranges District Inspector, Peter Lardner, last week assured residents that Yarra Ranges is a safe place to live and work.
Inspector Lardner was responding to claims by Liberal candidate for Evelyn, Christine Fyffe, that crime statistics released last week showed that violent crime was on the rise due to government mismanagement of the police force.
Ms Fyffe called for more police on the beat.
“While our police are tied up behind their desks filling out forms, assaults, robberies and attacks have all increased,” she said.
She said Victoria Police 2005-06 statistics show crimes against the person had increased by 14.5 per cent, sexual assaults by 11.3 per cent and assaults by 12.3 per cent. Robbery to a person, Mrs Fyffe said had increased by 25.9 per cent and arson attacks to property has increased by 61 per cent.
There is more to the story, however, than percentage increases, according to Inspector Lardner.
A 16.9 per cent increase in assaults, he said, was anticipated with an increase in reporting of assault in ‘domestic’ situations following the introduction of the Family Violence Code of Practice.
“This has enhanced the public’s confidence to report domestic violence matters to police knowing they will treat these matters seriously and charge the offending party with assault charges when appropriate,” he said.
There was also a trend, Inspector Lardner said, in people coming forward to report incidents of sex offences, which took place some time previously.
He said the increase in robbery offences was based on a very low number (34) offences and that the 60.5 per cent increase in arson, (66 offences) included 30 rubbish bins set alight in Mooroolbark on one night, and a separate incident where a pyromaniac was arrested for 13 individual offences.
Inspector Lardner added that a more targeted approach by police had led to a significant decline in the three most prevalent offences in Yarra Ranges – theft, property damage and theft from a motor vehicle.
Property damage fell by 8.2 per, theft from motor vehicle – 7.6 per cent, theft – 3.9 per cent, residential burglary – 8.7 per cent, shop steal offences – 13.3 per cent and theft of motor vehicles – 8.1 per cent.