By Laura Michell
Residential burglaries in Whittlesea are at their lowest level in more than a decade, police say.
Whittlesea police data shows that in December 2018 there were 69 residential burglaries in the municipality. In 2015, an average 175 burglaries were recorded in Whittlesea each month.
Inspector Craig Spencer said the residential burglary rate had reached an 11-year low.
Inspector Spencer said the decline in burglaries was driven by an increase in the number of uniformed officers on the street and the opening of the Mernda police station.
Whittlesea also recorded a drop in thefts of and from motor vehicles in recent months.
According to the Crime Statistics Agency, there were 749 motor vehicle thefts in the municipality in the 12 months to September 2018, down from 875 in September 2017.
Thefts from motor vehicles fell from 2011 in September 2017 to 1874 in September 2018.
“Many of those crimes are mainly tradies tools being taken off the back of cars,” Inspector Spencer said.
“The message is, secure your loads and lock up your gear in the garage at night.”
Inspector Spencer said one concern was the increase in assault-related offences, which is being driven by family violence.
Crime Statistics Agency data shows there were 1607 assault-related offences reported in September 2018, up from 1374 in September 2017.
Family violence common assault offences rose 10 per cent from 585 in September 2017 to 642 in September 2018.
In Hume, residential burglaries fell in the 12 months to September, while thefts of and from motor vehicles rose.
