Crimes committed by young offenders are on the rise in Whittlesea, new data reveals.
Crime Statistics Agency data shows the number of youth offences in Whittlesea increased from 463 in 2006 to 534 in 2015.
Statewide, the number of offences carried out by people under 25 years old fell during the same period.
Similarly, Hume recorded a drop in youth offences, with the number of recorded offences dropping from 759 in 2006 to 723 last year.
Whittlesea Inspector Paul Tysoe said increased reporting and population growth were behind the increase.
He described the growth in Whittlesea’s youth population over the past 10 years as “astronomical”.
“There are a lot of extra kids in Whittlesea since 2006, which has led to a lot of extra needs for recreation that can’t be provided,” he said.
“We are working with the council to provide new recreation activities for young people.”
In Whittlesea, crimes against other people, including assault and robbery, registered the greatest rise.
The number of assault-related offences carried out by young people rose from 49 in 2006 to 84 in 2015.
Robberies increased from less than three offences in 2006 to 36 in 2015.
And the number of young people breaching justice orders also grew over the past 10 years, while property and deception offences, such as arson, declined.
Inspector Tysoe said the drop in arson offences, from 11 in 2006 to none in 2015, was because of a change in community attitudes towards arson. He said the severity of the fire seasons of recent years had altered how the community perceived arsonists.
“Arson is a far less tolerable offence, so there is less potential for youth offenders to partake in this type of offending,” he said.
