Family violence and death caused by culpable driving are up, but assaults and murders are down, according to annual crime statistics for Melbourne’s north.
The Victoria Police crime statistics for 2013-14, released last week, found the number of attacks by family members had risen faster than attacks by outsiders.
“Since 2004-05, the rate per 100,000 population of family crime against the person has increased 211 per cent, while the rate of offences not arising from family incidents has decreased by 6.8 per cent,” the report states. “Offences arising from family incidents accounted for more than a third [41.7 per cent] of all crime-against-the-person offences.”
In his report on the new data, Whittlesea’s Inspector Bob Dykstra said home burglaries declined just over 10 per cent, while burglaries at retail and commercial premises rose more than 28 per cent.
“This increase was due in part to burglaries at houses under construction in the urban growth areas, Epping North and Mernda, as well as a series of organised burglaries at retail premises,” Inspector Dykstra said.
Hume’s Inspector Lisa Hardemann said overall crime in Hume had risen 8.6 per cent in the past year.
“Most of the increase can be attributed to property-related crime,” she said.
Inspector Hardemann said robberies and assaults, not including family violence, were down 27.3 per cent and 6.7 per cent, respectively, over the past 12 months.
Car theft and break-ins remain a major issue for both Hume and Whittlesea, with theft from vehicles up more than 56 per cent and theft of vehicles up more than 46 per cent in Whittlesea.
“Certain makes are being targeted,” Inspector Dykstra said. “Holden Commodores and Nissans [Pulsar and Skyline] feature highly in the vehicles stolen in our area. Fitting a sturdy after-market steering lock is a good deterrent to any potential car thief.”
Inspector Hardemann said most motor vehicle thefts were by youths aged 16 to 20.
