Whittlesea and Hume have recorded spikes in crime, with car-related thefts and family violence driving up offence rates.
Data released by the Crime Statistics Agency (CSA) revealed a 29.2 per cent jump in offences across Whittlesea in the 12 months to March, rising from 13,809 to 17,841.
Hume recorded a 18.7 per cent increase, with 22,733 offences up from 19,183 the previous year.
Theft from motor vehicles remained the most common crime in both municipalities.
In Hume, 3507 offences were recorded, followed by other theft (2323) and breaching family violence orders (2187).
In Whittlesea, there were 2463 thefts from vehicles, followed by breaching family violence orders (2145) and other theft (2046).
Craigieburn (4192 offences) and Broadmeadows (3580) were the most affected suburbs in Hume.
In Whittlesea, crime hotspots included Epping (4196), Thomastown (2809), Mill Park (1793), Lalor (1683) and Bundoora (1557).
A Victoria Police spokesperson said officers are actively targeting known hot-spots in both municipalities.
“Both theft of cars, and from cars, make up a large portion of all crime in these areas– 19 per cent in Hume and 22 per cent in Whittlesea,” the spokesperson said.
“Local and specialised police units continue to patrol hot-spots to detect and deter offences.”
Police also urged the community to take preventative steps.
“About a third of all thefts from cars relate to the theft of number plates, which is why we encourage the use of anti-theft screws.”
Houses were the top location for offences, with 7448 residential incidents in Hume and 5825 in Whittlesea– both up on the previous year’s figures.
Family violence incidents rose sharply.
In Whittlesea, 3319 incidents were recorded, up from 2270.
In Hume, the number climbed from 3525 to 3920.
“Police continue to work tirelessly to apprehend family violence perpetrators and bring them before the courts to ensure the safety of victim-survivors,” the spokesperson said.
“We encourage victims to seek help from police or support service – when you’re ready, speak to us or speak to someone you know.”
Across Victoria, there were 627,268 offences recorded in the 12 months to March – an increase of 17.1 percent.
