Crime drops by 7.8%

A 7.8 per cent decrease in crime for the Baw Baw police services area has been attributed to targeted and specialised enforcement operations.

Baw Baw PSA inspector Chris Major welcomed the decrease in crime, saying a partnership between police and the community was helping to achieve results.

Statistics across all areas including crimes against the person, property and deception offences and drug offences showed overall downward trends.

Latest statistics were released last week by the Crimes Statistics Agency for the year ending September 2017.

“Considering the area continues to have an increase in population, it is pleasing to see reported crime is still trending down. It is important for everyone in the community to adopt a crime prevention focus,” Mr Major said.

Total offences for the Baw Baw area dropped from 4103 to 3782 for the same 12 month period.

The trend across all areas was a decrease with a notable drop in the number of drug offences.

Drug offences dropped 46 per cent from 431 to 234. Drug use and possession offences dropped from 326 in 2016 to 188 this year.

Mr Major said one of the biggest contributing factors to this significant decline was a change in focus of drug enforcement at the Beyond the Valley event at Lardner Park over the new year period.

He said local police went from an enforcement role to harm minimisation approach which drastically reduced the number of offences.

Mr Major said there would be a greater focus on drug enforcement early next year, with special operations to target local drug offenders.

He said local police executed three to four warrants a week and were getting results.

Mr Major said police particularly relied on community information to assist with their endeavour.

“The drug issue is a concern across the state, there is no doubt about that. The concern is people will readily take drugs from an unknown source or manufacturer without giving it a thought.

“That’s our concern, the risk taking by a certain section of the community is high and it is putting lives at risk causing fatal consequences. aThe targeted operation at building sites around the Warragul and Drouin area, and working closely with the local building industry has achieved results in property burglaries.

Statistics show a nine per cent decrease in burglaries, dropping from 304 to 276.

An increase in theft offences was recorded, increasing from 1072 in 2016 to 1107 for the same period this year.

Mr Major said the decrease in crimes against the person, dropping from a total 794 to 779 was a pleasing result.

While the number of family violence incidents continue to increase, Mr Major said it was pleasing that victims were prepared to report the offences to police and break the cycle of violence.

Mr Major acknowledged the work of licensed premises across the shire involved in the Liquor Accord.

He said the work of licensees had assisted to drive down the incidents of assaults.

The number of assaults dropped from 360 to 355.

“The Liquor Accord continued to ban patrons who commit assaults in licensed premises. That appears to have a positive effect on reducing the incidents of violence in those premises,” he said.

The results in Baw Baw were above the Victorian results where there was a 4.9 per cent decrease in the number of offences reported to police.