CRIME in Gannawarra has bucked a statewide trend and dropped by nearly 20 per cent in the past two years.
After a 5 per cent rise at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, criminal incidents dropped 5.7 per cent in the 12 months ending in March after a 12.5 per cent fall in the previous period, according to Crime Statistics Agency data released last week.
The five top principal offence subgroups in the past 12 months included criminal damage (up 11 incidents to 70), breaches of family violence orders (down eight incidents to 43), non-residential non-aggravated burglary (up 20 to 41), other theft (down eight to 40) and breaching bail conditions (up five to 26).
Incidents increased in Cohuna (up 12 incidents), while criminal activity dropped in Kerang, Leitchville, Koondrook and Quambatook.
Most crime was committed inside homes and on streets, lanes or footpaths.
Charges were laid in 37 per cent of incidents, while 23 per cent of incidents had no charges laid and 39 per cent remained unsolved.
Family violence lightly increased by 0.6 per cent (up one incidents to 163). That followed a massive near-20 per cent drop for the same time in 2022.
There were 496,589 criminal offences recorded in Victoria in the 12 months to March, representing an increase of 26,424 offences or 5.6 per cent from the previous year.
Victoria Police deputy commissioner of regional operations Rick Nugent said overall crime in Victoria was “gradually” increasing from the low levels of 2020-21, however remained more than 9 per cent below pre-COVID levels.
“Serious offences including family violence serious assaults, rape, sex offences against children, and stalking and harassment all recorded reductions,” he said.
“While this is positive, there are clearly a number of areas of concern that police are investing significant energy and resources towards.
“Every single night, we have significant numbers of local police working alongside the air wing, dog squad and public order response team until dawn to prevent burglaries and car thefts from occurring … over the past three months we have arrested more than 200 burglars and car thieves during the night alone.
“Our intelligence is telling us there has been a decrease in burglaries and associated car thefts since the operation commenced, however we will not let up.”
Swan Hill police Inspector Gerard de Vries was unavailable to comment before deadline.
