The number of criminal incidents recorded in Wyndham decreased by 4.5 per cent in 2022 compared to the same period the previous year according to data released by the Crime Statistics Agency.
Crime fell from 12,741 incidents in 2021, to 12,173 incidents for the year ending June 2022.
Wyndham local area commander acting inspector Matt Trask said it was “incredibly positive to see a steady decline in the Wyndham area over the last few years” however he warned the trend could change as Victoria continues to relax COVID restrictions.
“Over the past year, police have been maintaining a strong presence in the community, which is reflected in overall decline,” he said.
“We know that COVID lockdowns have had an impact on criminal offending and we can expect to see an increase as we continue to emerge from the pandemic environment.”
While ‘street/lane/footpath’ and ‘shopping complex’ were among the top locations crime occurred, both areas saw decreases of 26 per cent and 10 per cent respectively in the number of reported incidents.
There were 1780 incidents in the ‘street/lane/footpath’ category for 2022, compared to 2417 in the previous year, and 464 incidents at shopping complexes this year, following 518 last year.
“Police…regularly patrol community locations such as retail areas, public transport and local streets which has contributed to a decline in theft offences at these locations,” acting inspector Trask said.
Werribee was the top suburb where crimes were reported, accounting for 3339 of the total incidents.
Hoppers Crossing, Tarneit, Point Cook and Truganina recorded 1980, 1886, 1602 and 1024 incidents respectively.
The top offence subgroups ‘steal from a motor vehicle’, ‘other theft’, ‘criminal damage’, and common assault increased by 12 per cent, 0.2 per cent, 1.6 per cent and 3.5 per cent.
“Police will continue to target thieves through regular patrols of known crime hotspots and the monitoring of recidivist offenders, but the whole community can play a part in preventing this type of crime,”acting inspector Trask said.
“We are encouraging everyone to do their part in making sure our community remains safe, that means reporting anything suspicious and making it difficult for criminals by ensuring your valuable items are secure, and locking doors and windows of your cars and home.”
