By JESSE GRAHAM
FAMILY violence, assault, thefts and drug offences are all on the rise in the Yarra Ranges, but police have said they’re making headway with crime, despite rising statistics.
Victoria Police published its latest crime statistics for Police Service Areas (PSAs) on Wednesday 28 May, comparing crimes recorded between 1 April 2013 and 31 March 2013 with the same time in the previous year.
Overall crime rose 6.9 per cent between the two time periods, and key crime issues were family violence (rising 20 per cent), assaults excluding family violence (rising 32.8 per cent), and general drug offences, which rose 6.7 per cent.
Yarra Ranges Inspector Colin McKinney said that thefts from motor vehicles rose from 560 incidents in the 2012-2013 period to 612, due to people leaving their cars unlocked.
“It was evident during the reporting process that victims were leaving vehicles unlocked in garages, driveways and on residential streets,” Insp McKinney said.
“Items of value are also still being left in vehicles visible to offenders, making it a crime of opportunity.”
He said that the rise in family violence cases, which went up from 352 cases in 2012-2013 to 424 in the following year, could be attributed to more confidence in reporting incidents to the police.
“Yarra Ranges (police) will continue to focus on family violence,” Insp McKinney said.
“Improved confidence is already apparent through the increased reporting of family violence and increased referral of people in need to support agencies.”
A divisional family violence unit is currently operating in the Yarra Ranges to target the issue and provide guidance to those in need.
Residential burglaries dropped 13.5 per cent over the time period, with 416 recorded for the 2013-2014 period – down from 481 in the year before – though Insp McKinney warned residents not to be complacent.
“Police have been making some good in-roads into reducing residential burglaries over the last two months, however we must continue to be aware of home and personal security,” he said.
“School and industrial burglaries continue to be a challenge and we will work with our partners and stakeholders to continue to reduce this crime.
Insp McKinney said on-going patrols and investigations would continue to reduce the number of burglaries.
Road trauma was another big issue for police under the new statistics, with road fatalities and serious injuries rising between the 2012 and 2013 calendar years.
Serious injuries rose from 482 to 547 in this time, a rise of 13.5 per cent, while fatalities on the roads rose from five in 2012 to eight in 2013.
For more information on local police operations in the Yarra Ranges, visit www.facebook.com/eyewatchyarrarangespsa.
