By Alesha Capone
The overall crime rate in Wyndham has increased by 14.44 per cent across 12 months, with large growths in residential aggravated burglaries, family violence, sexual offences and theft.
The total number of crimes recorded in Wyndham during the 2018-19 financial year was 15,328, which rose to 17,542 incidents during the 2019-20 financial year.
According to the Victorian Crime Statistics Agency (CSA), this included 167 aggravated residential burglaries (compared to 81 previously) and 732 non-aggravated residential burglaries (734 previously).
Wyndham also recorded 464 sexual offences (366 previously) and 181 aggravated robberies (165 previously).
There were 1859 thefts from a motor vehicle (1192 previously), 709 thefts of a motor vehicle (484 previously) and 942 thefts from a retail store (962 previously).
The number of drug offences recorded in Wyndham fell, from 893 to 832 offences.
Assaults and related offences increased to 1573 offences (1324 previously), with 82 assaults against police and other emergency services workers (56 previously).
The assault figures included 970 offences classified as family violence (842 previously) and 521 offences classified as non-family violence (426 previously).
Earlier this month, the CSA released a research paper on crime trends committed since the introduction of Victoria’s first pandemic lockdown in March, through until the end of June.
The paper identified that the number of family violence incidents “was significantly higher than what would be expected based on trends over the past five years”.
Between March and July, the number of family violence offences recorded in Wyndham rose by 16.4 per cent (from 745 offences in March-June 2019-20 to 857 offences during Match-June this year).
No to Violence, Australia’s largest peak body for organisations that work with men who perpetrate violence, expressed concern about the figures.
Chief executive Jacqui Watt said: “We are desperately calling on these people (offenders) to stop before it gets to the point of using violence, give us a call, and sort yourself out.”
The CSA also revealed that between March and June, 208 breaches of COVID-19 restrictions were detected in Wyndham.
Perpetrators of family violence can contact the No to Violence Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491, and victims can contact the safe steps Family Violence Response Centre on 1800 015 188 or visit www.safesteps.org.au.
