By Max Hatzoglou
Brimbank’s overall crime rate fell 16 per cent in 2021, driven by a drop in breaches of family violence orders and thefts.
Latest Crime Statistics Agency data reveals 17,022 offences were recorded in Brimbank in 2021, down from 20,231 in 2020.
Family incidents fell 6.5 per cent from 3002 in 2020 to 2808 in 2021.
According to the data, St Albans recorded the highest number of offences in the municipality (4161) despite recording a fall in the number of offences, while the number of offences recorded in Sunshine North rose by 257.
Brimbank Inspector Trevor King said the declining crime rate could be attributed to last year’s lockdowns.
“It was positive to see a steady reduction in serious offences which impact the community such as robberies and car thefts and we continue to remain focused on reducing these types of crimes,” he said.
“While it is likely that overall crime will increase as the community returns to normality, the early signs are relatively positive.”
Inspector King said police had been working on minimising the number of incidents.
“Brimbank police have re-established the highly visible and effective Brimbank Safer Community Tasking Unit which is dedicated to preventing crime at high risk locations such as transport hubs and community locations,” he said.
“The safety of the community is a top priority for police and we will continue to maintain a strong presence in the area, including highly visible patrols in busy community locations such as shopping centres and transport hubs.
“We have teams of dedicated officers and detectives who are sharing intelligence on a daily basis to investigate crime and arrest offenders.”
Inspector King said the community could expect to see police ramping up their community engagement in the coming months.
“Local members will be reaching out to businesses, local traders, sporting and community groups to understand specific concerns relating to community safety and working together to address these,” he said.
“This is about going back to the very basics of police work.
“We’re not just listening to what the community’s worried about but getting police to specifically address those concerns.
“We’ll then report back on what’s been done.”
