More family violence is reported in Wyndham than anywhere else in the western suburbs, latest crime statistics reveal.
Figures from the state government’s newly- formed Crime Statistics Agency reveal Wyndham police received 2362 reports of family violence in 2014.
That was an 8.8 per cent rise on 2013, while the number of reports across the state went up 8.2 per cent.
Brimbank had the second-highest number of reports in the west. Last year the city had 2245 reports. Melton, by comparison, had 1790 reports of family violence.
The statistics also show that the number of such reports to Wyndham police have more than doubled in the past five years.
Inspector Frank Sells said that, as a result, Wyndham now has a dedicated team of police investigators working seven days a week to tackle family violence.
“Police are well placed to support victims, and people in the community now have more confidence to report family violence matters whether they’re victims or witnesses.
“A lot of work is being done with our community partners to prevent family violence and provide timely support and referrals for all reported incidents.”
Wyndham also recorded a slight increase in total crime last year, up two per cent from 2013.
Inspector Sells said theft was contributing to the overall increase in crime. “It’s timely to remind people not to leave valuables unattended even for the shortest period of time,” he said. “It’s also important to lock your car and remove items from display, including tools that may be in the rear of trade vehicles as these are often targeted by offenders.
“I’d also encourage people to report any suspicious behaviour.”
The municipality also recorded a rise in burglaries, up from 1463 in 2013 to 1635 last year.
Inspector Sells said thieves were mainly targeting houses under construction. Police were keen to work with the building industry to look at ways to prevent this type of crime.
