By Jed Lanyon
Crime in the Yarra Ranges dropped by -0.6 per cent compared to the previous year according to the latest data from the Crime Statistics Agency (CSA).
The latest CSA data released on 17 June found a slight decrease in total criminal incidents for the year ending March 2021.
The five suburbs featuring the highest amounts of crimes were Lilydale, Mooroolbark, Chirnside Park, Kilsyth and Healesville.
Only Lilydale experienced a 12.3 per cent jump in crime from that group, recording 1301 incidents compared to 1158 in the year prior. This figure was the highest among Yarra Ranges suburbs as the next four townships experienced slight decreases in criminal incidents.
Of the 6154 total criminal incidents recorded, charges were laid on 33.5 per cent of occasions, while for 28.1 per cent there were no charges laid and 38.4 per cent remain unsolved.
Public health and safety offences were the most common offence with 718 incidents compared to just one the year prior, thanks to Covid-19 related breaches under the Chief Medical Officer’s directions.
The second most common offence was theft from a motor vehicle (576 incidents), breaches of family violence orders (523) and then criminal damage (475).
Crime in the Yarra Ranges was most likely to occur at home with the location of ‘house’, making up for 29.1 per cent of all criminal incidents.
The second most common location for crime was streets/paths/laneways which saw a 66 per cent increase year-to-year with 1262 incidents.
Across the state, The recorded offences rate decreased 1.8 per cent to 7,950.6 per 100,000 Victorians in the last 12 months, as did the number of offences, down 1.8 per cent to 532,271.
One in five offences recorded were family violence-related (21.1 per cent). Despite overall decreases in criminal offences recorded, family violence-related offences increased 11.3 per cent to 112,432 offences in the year ending 31 March 2021. The increase was particularly driven by breaches of family violence orders (up 18.4 per cent to 53,285 offences) and family violence-related common assaults (up 5.9 per cent to 16,264 offences).
CSA Chief Statistician Fiona Dowsley said, “Victoria has recorded the highest ever number of family incidents and family violence-related criminal offences during this period.
“The number of family violence-related victim reports has continued to increase, while other types of victim reports decreased over the past 12 months.
“This increase in family violence-related victimisation has been seen for the last three years, reflecting more than pandemic-related impacts.”
