General News
1 April, 2024
Offences spike locally
Data from the Crime Statistics Agency (CSA) revealed Maryborough saw an over 13 percent surge in criminal offences in 2023, becoming ever closer to pre-pandemic crime rates. A total of 1212 criminal offences occurred last year in the Central...

Data from the Crime Statistics Agency (CSA) revealed Maryborough saw an over 13 percent surge in criminal offences in 2023, becoming ever closer to pre-pandemic crime rates.
A total of 1212 criminal offences occurred last year in the Central Goldfields, a three percent increase compared to the previous year and the highest it has been since 2019 (1411 offences).
The Central Goldfields offence rate of 8916 incidents per 100,000 people continues to be above the state average, which has occurred since the release of crime statisticsin 2014.
Similarly, criminal incidents, meaning a criminal event with multiple offences, alleged offenders and/or victims, increased by nine percent in 2023 to 873, only 19 lower than 2019.
A total of 654 incidents in 2023 occurred in Maryborough, a nearly 17 percent increase from 2022.
Goldfields Local Area Commander Inspector Brendon McCrory said the local police force is actively engaging with these statistics.
“Crime rates in Central Goldfields are still below the levels seen before the pandemic,” he said.
“Community safety is our top priority, and police are always adapting to the latest crime trends and engaging with the community to reduce levels of crime.”
Breaches of family violence orders remains the most common offence in the region with 192 incidents, a spot it has held since 2018.
Insp McCrory said the prevention of family violence is important to local police and urged victims to speak out.
“Family violence will always be a priority for police, and we understand these incidents often happen behind closed doors and can go unreported,” he said.
“Our Family Violence Investigation Unit detectives continuously knock on the doors of offenders to monitor them, support victims, and detect any breaches.
“We understand how much courage it takes for victims of family violence to come forward. It may take days, months or years after the incident has occurred.
“We want to remind victims that police will listen and leave no stone unturned to ensure perpetrators are held to account.”
Other common offences include criminal damage (123 offences), sexual offences (102), other theft, which includes incidents like theft without threat (83) and stealing from a motor vehicle (79) which all saw an increase compared to 2022.
Insp McCrory said basic security measures will deter the majority of thieving offenders.
“We patrol the community every day and night to deter opportunistic types of offending, which includes criminals targeting unlocked vehicles and homes. We are reminding the community to ensure their property is secure at all times,” he said.
“While police are working around the clock to keep everyone safe, we know the community are our eyes and ears, and we encourage you to report any suspicious behaviour to police.”
The CSA also reported an increase in crimes by children across the state, with 14-17-year-old child offenders responsible for 18,729 incidents, a nearly 30 percent surge from 2022 and the highest rate since 2009.
Offences recorded in the Pyrenees Shire remained steady with a decrease of three offences to 369, surpassing last year as the lowest number of offences for the shire.
A nearly 18 percent increase in offences to 139 occurred in Beaufort and theft was reported as the most common crime.
Following from a nearly 12 percent jump in 2022, the Hepburn Shire saw another 14 percent spike in offences recorded to 710, with the majority of incidents occurring in Creswick (229 offences) and Daylesford (184).
Similarly to the Pyrenees, theft topped the offence subgroup in Hepburn, followed by criminal damage and stealing from a motor vehicle.