Wyndham’s top cop has praised frontline police for a 2.6 per cent drop in crime in the past 12 months.
New statistics released by the Crime Statistics Agency reveal that crime across Wyndham fell from 13,205 offences to 12,858 in the 12 months to June 2015, with a marked drop in assaults, property damage, theft, and disorderly and offensive conduct.
Inspector Frank Sells said the overall reduction in offences was a coup for Wyndham police.
“To achieve this against an annual population growth rate of 5.6 per cent is encouraging,” he said. “This has been achieved through the dedication of our frontline police, who work hard to keep the community safe.”
On the flip side, breaches of court orders jumped 16 per cent, burglaries and breaking and entering offences rose 11 per cent, and family violence reports surged eight per cent, from 2274 to 2473 cases, in the same period,
“Crime in Wyndham is primarily being driven by the theft of car number plates, burglaries on homes and businesses, and opportunistic theft, where the victim is intentionally distracted by the offender or leaves personal belongings unattended,” Inspector Sells said.
“Theft and burglary remain a high priority for us and we’re continuing to target this type of offending. We’re doing more to prevent offending in the first place and we need the community to help us by locking cars and homes and securing valuables.
“Offenders will often look for an easy target and we want the majority to make it difficult for the minority who choose to commit crime.”
Inspector Sells said thieves often targeted new residential estates and homes under construction. He called on residents to report suspicious behaviour around new estates.
