While criminal offences in the Central Goldfields Shire rose eight percent last year, reported offending remains significantly lower than pre-pandemic levels — a trend seen across the region.
Crime Statistics Agency data for 2022 was released earlier this month, showing sexual offending and breaches of family violence orders had risen in the past 12 months, coinciding with an 8.4 percent rise in overall offences in the Central Goldfields Shire.
The data reveals overwhelmingly that the most common location for offending was in the home, with 499 offences recorded (up from 413 in 2021), with Maryborough seeing a total 831 recorded offences in the town.
While the 1175 offences in 2022 marked an increase from the 1084 in 2021, the data sees the shire’s offending sit 16 percent lower than in 2019, pre-pandemic.
It’s a trend right across central Victoria, with neighbouring shires seeing similar results.
The Mount Alexander Shire recorded no change in the total offences recorded in 2022 compared to 2021 with 924 offences, however the number of criminal incidents in the municipality fell eight percent.
In the Loddon Shire, offending fell more than 15 percent — dropping to a total 457 offences recorded last year, the lowest for the shire since 2017.
All three municipalities are covered by the Goldfields Police Service Area and the region’s Acting Inspector Darren McQueen said the reporting or under-reporting of crime could be a factor in the lower rates.
“I’m unable to identify any particular reason or trend for the reduction in these numbers however, circumstances such as under-reporting of crime may have some bearing on this data,” he said.
“In this case I would urge any victim of crime to report the matter as we’re keen to provide timely assistance and response to victims, as well as using the data to ensure we’re providing police resources to areas of concern.”
Act Insp McQueen said crime data helped inform where police resources would be directed.
“To ensure police resources are targeted at the appropriate crime trends and times we expect to focus resources across the PSA towards issues such as farm crime — stock theft, rural machinery/fuel theft — and criminal damage offences such as the graffiti issue in Mount Alexander,” he said.
“Family violence will always be a key issue and priority with a strong focus across the PSA on building collaborative relationships with the community, councils and relevant support agencies.”
Act Insp McQueen encouraged residents to look at the data themselves, as it provides an insight into local crime and how it can be mitigated.
“Reviewing the data out of the report can be of great benefit to individuals particularly around understanding what the crime trends are and putting into place steps to reduce their risk,” he said.
“These would include steps such as ensuring vehicles are locked when unattended, securing doors and windows of houses, lighting considerations and vigilance/awareness of unusual activity.
“The implementation of the Neighbourhood Policing Model and Local Safety Committee has provided an effective avenue for communities and groups/agencies to identify and highlight areas of concern and crime issues, where these problems can be addressed in a collaborative and consultative way.”
