Criminal offences in Brimbank dropped by 5.67 per cent in the 12 months to March.
Figures released by the Crime Statistics Agency last week reveal a total of 8378.5 offences were committed in Brimbank, a drop from the 8882.5 in the previous 12-month period.
Brimbank local area commander Terry West said the results were a reflection of strong policing.
“The overall decrease in incidents, particularly in burglary and theft, really reflects the hard work being done in and around Brimbank,” Acting Inspector West said.
“The Safer Communities Taskforce are regularly patrolling high-risk areas and that police presence is making a difference.”
Theft offences dropped 4.24 per cent, while burglary and break and enter offences fell 17.94 per cent.
Acting Inspector West said ground was being made on the high-profile offences of aggravated burglaries and home invasion.
“We’ve seen a core group of offenders committing those particular crimes, and thankfully they’ve now gone through the judicial process and we’re actively monitoring them,” he said.
“There’s been improved communication across multiple agencies, and with this increased interaction, we’re able to monitor things better.”
Brimbank recorded a drop in drug offences of 6.7 per cent.
While overall crime was down, crimes against the person rose from 2650 offences to 2877, including assault and related offences jumping from 723.9 to 765.5.
Acting Inspector West attributed the spike to increased reporting.
“People are more willing to report these type of offences now, particularly in the family violence arena,” he said.
“There’s been a lot of media coverage and hard work done in that space, which is reflected in people’s willingness to report.”
“There has been a 17.4 per cent increase in breaches of orders – the majority of these relate to family violence crime and these statistics show how seriously we treat the safety of victims and holding offenders to account.”
