A dramatic rise in drug use and possession offences in Hume has been fuelled by the availability of methamphetamine, new data reveals.
Since 2006, the number of drug offences recorded in Hume has soared from 183 to 839, as of March 31 this year.
The Crime Statistics Agency released a report earlier this month analysing the types of drugs that have driven the increase in drug offences across the state over the past decade.
It found that cannabis, methamphetamine, ecstasy and prescription drugs offences were on the rise across Victoria.
In Hume, there were no recorded methamphetamine offences in 2006.
But in the 12 months to March 31 this year, police recorded 277 methamphetamine offences in the municipality.
Whittlesea saw a similar increase in methamphetamine offences, rising from none in 2006 to 174 in 2016.
Overall, drug offences in Whittlesea rose from 255 in 2006 to 568 this year.
Hume Inspector Anthony Brown said the rise in the popularity of the drug ice was behind the surge in methamphetamine offences.
“Ice use in the community is of a concern to police on many levels, including the often increased aggression observed in users and the impact on family violence,” he said.
Cannabis remained the drug people were most commonly caught with in both Hume and Whittlesea over the past decade, while heroin and amphetamine offences remained relatively stable.
Inspector Brown said the surge in the number of recorded drug offences could be attributed to increases in the number of people being caught with drugs.
He said this was a result of increased training and more targeted policing.
“The use of illegal drugs and driving is always a concern for police,” he said.
