Gerald Lynch
Figures showing that Hume had the second highest number of thefts of motor vehicles in 2022, don’t tell the full story according to Hume police Commander Dean Clinton.
Figures released by Victorian police revealed that 796 vehicles were stolen in Hume last year, only behind Melbourne CBD where 973 cars were stolen.
The motor vehicle theft data was brought into the spotlight following Victoria Police’s Operation Trinity, a Melbourne-wide investigation looking to crack down on car theft and aggravated burglary throughout the city, following an uptick in youth crime.
Commander Clinton claims it’s not all doom and gloom for the Hume municipality, as crime rate continues to improve.
Despite Hume’s position on the data sheet, Commander Clinton is content with where the municipality is heading, as it is currently sitting at its second lowest crime rate in more than 10 years.
He said it’s a positive sign and they are continuing to work with the community and stakeholders to maintain community safety.
He explained that whilst the numbers don’t look great, Hume’s large size is a contributing factor.
“Hume currently has the third largest population of all LGA’s in Victoria and the more people residing in an area, the more cars there are, and that increases the opportunity for theft,” he said.
“Hume is also a very large geographical area that includes the Melbourne Airport and a large number of hire car companies.
“When hire cars and ride-share vehicles aren’t returned, they are reported as stolen. This is a contributing factor to the high numbers of car thefts in Hume.”
He said one of the biggest issues surrounding car theft in Hume lies within lack of community education surrounding car safety.
“Almost half of our thefts from cars, and thefts of cars, are committed on vehicles that are unlocked,” he said.
“If we could encourage people to lock their cars and secure their keys, that could reduce the number significantly.”
