Cade Lucas
Crime has continued to soar in Wyndham with recorded offences up by 12.5 per cent for the year to June 2023.
The latest crime statistics released on Thursday September 28, showed Wyndham recorded a total of 18,340 offences in the year to June compared to 16,297 at the same point in 2022.
Werribee recorded the most offences of any suburb, with 5178, well ahead of Hoppers Crossing on 2999, Point Cook on 2578, Tarneit on 2477 and Truganina on 1496. All figures were increases on the previous year.
Stealing from a vehicle was the most common offence, with 2143 recorded, ahead of other theft, breach of family violence order, criminal damamge and stealing from a retail store.
Houses were the most common location for offences to occur, followed by streets, driveways, shopping complexes and other retail outlets.
The results are even worse when compared to those of 2019, which was unaffected by COVID and considered by police to be a more relevant comparison.
In June 2019 recorded offences grew by 6.1 per cent, less than half the rate of increase of today and the 11,722 in total offences was almost 7000 below the total for June 2023.
Wyndham’s rate of increase was well above the 7.9 per cent recorded statewide, while also outstripping those recorded in the neighbouring municipalities of Brimbank, Melton, Hobson’s Bay and Maribyrnong.
However when adjusted for population, Wyndham’s rate of offending per 100,000 people of 5719.6 was lower than all of them.
Wyndham also recorded a spike of 11.6 per cent in Family Violence Incidents over the same period, with 4496 recorded, compared to 4030 to June 2022 and 3,246 to June 2019 when numbers jumped by 18.5 per cent.
Women aged 24 to 35 years old were the most common victims of family violence in Wyndham, with the rate of increase and figures adjusted for population growth, both worse than neighbouring municipalities and Victoria overall.
Wyndham police were contacted for comment.
