Rates of burglary and motor vehicle crime continue to slide in Brimbank.
While the latest Victoria Police Statistics reveal a 4.5 per cent increase in total crime, burglary (other than residential) dropped 15.1 per cent last year compared to 2012.
Theft of motor vehicle (15.9), theft from motor vehicle (14.5), property damage (11.1) andresidential burglary (6.7) also decreased.
However, there was a 38.9 per cent increase in other crime, and robbery (21.7) and drug offences (11.6) jumped also.
Brimbank’s Inspector Chris Gilbert said there had been “pleasing” reductions in the last quarter of 2013 for assault, burglaries, property damage and vehicle crime which would be carried into this year, but there was more work to do.
“In the December quarter we had a jump in robberies,” he said.
“This followed a smaller rise (24.3 per cent) in the September quarter. Even more frustrating is the fact these robberies are opportunistic and many are for potentially valueless items. Fortunately, we have stemmed this rise and have seen reductions over the past two months.”
He said the Safer Communities Task Force would be bolstered to focus on Sunshine, St Albans, Watergardens and Deer Park.
