Whittlesea crime drops by 15 per cent

(Rob Carew). 206998_12

The crime rate in Whittlesea has fallen 15 per cent with 12,199 offences as of September 2022 compared to 14,360 offences in the previous year.

The biggest drop in the offence division was seen in property and deception offences. These offences include arson, property damage, burglaries, break and enter, theft, deception, and bribery. Offences dropped 16 per cent from 5973 offences as of September 2022 compared to 7104 in the previous year.

Whittlesea Inspector Chris Allen said it was pleasing to see a decrease in crime across the area.

“Our uniform police in Whittlesea have been committed over the last 12 months in preventing, responding and holding people to account who commit crime in our area,” he said.

“Our priority is keeping the community safe and that is what we will continue to focus on.”

Inspector Allen said the drop in offences can be attributed to the proactive work conducted by police officers and investigators.

“We are also supported by a very proactive criminal investigation unit who make sure that those who commit serious and violent crime are arrested and brought before the Courts,” he said.

“Rostering resources at the right time, using intelligence and smart tasking have all contributed to keeping Whittlesea a safe place to live and work.

“We are expecting gradual increases as we move further away from the pandemic but police will be working hard to keep crime as low as possible.”

The drop in Whittlesea reflects a broader trend in crime across Victoria.

Across the state there were 474,446 criminal offences recorded for the year ending September 2022, representing a decrease of 21,373 offences or 4.3 per cent from the same twelve-month period in 2021. This is the lowest number of criminal offences committed in the year ending September since 2014.