By JESSE GRAHAM
MURDER, theft and general crime incidents are down across the board in the Yarra Ranges, but drug offences and family violence are up, according to the latest policing statistics.
The statistics, released by the Crime Statistics Agency (CSA) on Thursday 1 October, show a drop in homicide, assault and sexual offences in the Yarra Ranges in the 12 months to July.
Between 1 July 2014 and 30 June 2015, four homicides took place in the Yarra Ranges Police Service Area (PSA), half of the previous financial year’s eight.
Incidents of assault also saw a slight decline, with 644 assaults compared to 696 the year before.
However, stalking, harassment and threatening behaviour charges rose from 163 to 199 incidents, and breaches of orders (including intervention orders) nearly doubled, with 424 incidents rising to 702 in the last financial year.
Drug dealing and trafficking, cultivating or manufacturing drugs and drug use charges all rose in the Yarra Ranges, though theft, burglary and deception offences all saw a decline.
There were five more family violence incidents in the Yarra Ranges compared to the year before, with 1374 committed in the area – an increase of 0.4 per cent.
However, with 149,734 residents in the Yarra Ranges, and assuming a family violence incident involves at least one perpetrator and one victim, about one in every 54 people in the area have been involved in a family violence incident in the last financial year on average.
The Cardinia PSA saw a more marked increase in family violence incidents, with 1319 incidents in the same time period – 141 more incidents than the year before.
With a population of 87,008, and again assuming family violence incidents involve at least two people, on average one in 32 people in Cardinia were involved in a family violence incident in the last financial year.
The area also saw an increase in charges for drug use and possession, with 340 incidents compared to 229, and an increase for drugs charges across the board.
Homicide, assault and burglary statistics all fell in Cardinia, though sexual offences, theft and breaches of orders all increased.
The Crime Statistics Agency’s chief statistician Fiona Dowsley said that family violence had increased by 8.8 per cent state-wide, with 70,906 incidents in the 2014/15 year.
The Mail attempted to contact the Yarra Ranges PSA Inspector, but she was not immediately available for comment.
