Keilor has been named as one of Victoria’s burglary hot spots.
The RACV’s annual analysis of burglaries from across the state showed that one in every 32 homes in the suburb has been burgled in the past 12 months, up from one in 54 recorded at the same time last year.
The Gippsland townships of Airly, Seaspray, Montgomery and Darriman were the most burgled postcode in Victoria, with one in 17 houses burgled.
Victoria Police Investigation Response Inspector Dave Byrt said despite the spike in incidents, Brimbank has become a much safer community.
“I don’t tend to look at little pockets in stats because you’re always going to have areas that have a higher rate than others,” he said.
“I look at the area as a whole and in the past five years we’ve seen a significant reduction in offences like burglary.”
Crime Statistics Agency statistics supported Inspector Byrt’s claims. Figures released by the agency in October show a 9.7 per cent reduction in burglary and break and enter offences in Brimbank – a five-year low for the municipality.
However, the statistics also identified Keilor as a high-risk suburb for burglary. In the past financial year, burglary and break and enter offences in Keilor were up 57.9 per cent, from 59 offences to 93.
“Hot spots for offences like burglary are always a cause for concern, but they’re created through a number of different factors such as transport and housing,” Inspector Byrt said.
“We’ve put a high emphasis on tackling burglaries within Brimbank and on the whole, the area is a much safer place to live than it was five years ago.”
