The Victorian Crime Statistics Agency has released the latest crime data for the year up to June 2023, with a general rise in crime throughout the Outer East.
The Yarra Ranges was the only local government area (LGA) to see a decrease in the number of criminal incidents (1.2 per cent) while Maroondah, Knox and Cardinia saw rather large increases of 9.4 per cent, 11.8 per cent and 8.3 per cent respectively. However, the number of offences in total increased in all of them; 5.3 per cent in the Yarra Ranges, 5.5 per cent in Maroondah, 9.1 per cent in Knox and 8.3 per cent in Cardinia.
A criminal incident can include more than one recorded offence.
Deputy Commissioner of Regional Operations at Victoria Police Neil Paterson said while crime in Victoria has increased from the state’s pandemic-affected years, the overall crime rate remains 1.4 per cent below pre-Covid levels.
“When factoring in population growth, overall crime is at its second lowest levels in the past decade – only beaten by the twelve months to June 2022 which were heavily impacted by Covid restrictions,” he said.
“There have also been less victims of crime then before the pandemic, with around 2,800 less people impacted by crime than in the twelve months to June 2019.”
In the Yarra Ranges, there were a total of 4844 criminal incidents recorded with charges laid for 34.5 per cent of them, while 40.5 per cent remain unsolved and 24.9 per cent saw no charges laid. Lilydale, Mooroolbark, Kilsyth, Chirnside Park and Healesville recorded the most offences and criminal incidents in the LGA. Chirnside Park and Kilsyth saw an increase in both over the last year, Mooroolbark and Healesville experienced a decrease while Lilydale’s number of offences went up but criminal incidents went down.
In the Upper Yarra, Yarra Junction was the township that experienced the most crime with 154 incidents, up from 94 in 2022 with property and deception offences in the town making up that total alone in the year to June 2023.
The overwhelming majority of crimes were committed in a house, with 1749 criminal incidents occurring in homes in the Yarra Ranges.
Dep Commr Paterson said there are a number of areas of concern that Victoria Police will continue to focus on, including youth crime, home burglaries, car thefts, and firearm-related violence.
“We are making significant strides in each of these areas, as we continue to prioritise our resources according to the latest crime trends, community concerns, and ultimately where we can prevent the most harm,” he said.
“Police are reducing the prevalence of linked burglaries and car thefts. Since Operation Trinity commenced in March, there has been over 1,600 arrests and a 40 per cent decrease in this type of offending,”
“This operation will continue every evening until dawn, targeting those seeking to sneak into homes while people are home.”
