Hannah Hammoud
Crime rates in Hume increased by 1.7 per cent in 2022, according to new data from the Crime Statistics Agency.
Hume recorded 313 more offences in 2022 compared to 2021, with a total of 18,201 criminal offences.
Most of the criminal offences took place in the Hume suburbs of Broadmeadows and Campbellfield.
Whittlesea crime rates dropped by 5.1 per cent with a total of 12,479 offences recorded, a drop in 665 offences compared to 2021.
Whittlesea Inspector Chris Allen said that it is pleasing to see Whittlesea’s crime rate continue to drop.
“We give a lot of attention to examining crime trends and making sure our resources are in the right place at the right time to ensure community safety,” he said.
Whittlesea suburbs of Epping, Thomastown and Mill Park were responsible for the highest number of criminal offences.
Inspector Allen said that since arriving in 2021,getting the maximum amount of resources out on the road to serve the community has been a high priority of his.
“We have a dedicated team of Police who are assigned to our local Neighbourhood Policing Unit that solely looks after
safety concerns raised by our community.
“We are also backed up by a really proactive Criminal Investigation Unit who support our efforts on the ground to ensure those that commit crime are held to account.
Both Whittlesea and Hume family violence incidents dropped with a decrease of 8.7 per cent and 3.5 per cent respectively.
Inspector Allen acknowledged that family violence can often go unreported and encouraged anyone experiencing family violence to reach out to police and support for assistance.
“We work really hard with our stakeholders to ensure services to those impacted by family violence are accessible in times of need and those committing family violence are held to account.”
