Hannah Hammoud
Recorded criminal offences have increased by 3.1 per cent across Brimbank according to new data from the Crime Statistics Agency (CSA).
Brimbank recorded 511 more offences in the 12 months to September 2023, compared to the previous 12 months, with a total of 17,103 criminal offences.
The suburbs of St Albans (3571 offences recorded) and Sunshine (3013 offences recorded) remain as the top two hot spots respectively for crime in the municipality.
Stealing from a motor vehicle (2319 offences recorded), and other theft (1520 offences recorded) remained as the top two offences in Brimbank.
Despite an increase in criminal offences recorded for the municipality, Victoria Police has opted to refer to pre-pandemic levels as crime statistics for the 12 months to September 2022 were still affected by COVID-19 restrictions. For this reason, Victoria Police cites comparisons to the 12 months to September 2019.
“While overall crime in Brimbank has risen slightly, it pleasingly remains 10.4 per cent below pre-pandemic levels,” a Victoria Police spokesperson said.
For 2023, Sunshine recorded an increase of 390 offences recorded compared to the year before, whilst St Albans recorded a drop of 217 offences recorded.
However, the Victoria Police spokesperson said compared to pre-COVID levels overall crime in Sunshine is down by 14.1 per cent, while crime in St Albans has fallen by 4.4 per cent over the same time.
“Assaults, sex offences, robberies, burglaries, and theft offences have all decreased in Brimbank since before the pandemic,” the spokesperson said.
Throughout 2024, local police will continue to run targeted operations and investigations focused on key issues, such as youth crime, property crime and family violence.
The number of family violence incidents recorded in Brimbank remained steady compared to the previous 12 months, recording 2807 total family violence incidents, an increase of one incident compared to 2806 incidents in 2022.
