THE number of drug offences, assaults and vehicles thefts recorded by Brimbank police has risen significantly across 12 months.
But robberies and residential burglary rates have fallen, according to the latest crime statistics.
Last week Victoria Police released data contrasting the amount of crimes reported during 2012, compared to the previous year.
Within Brimbank, drug crimes rose by 46 per cent to more than 1150 offences during 2012 – compared to 775 offences during 2011.
There was a 25 per cent rise in recorded assaults (1810 crimes), with 1445 reported to police in the previous year.
However, the number of assaults – excluding family violence – actually increased by 35 per cent in Brimbank to almost 1000 incidents last year.
Thefts of motor vehicles rose by 13 per cent to more than 1270 offences during 2012, while thefts from motor vehicles increased to more than 2730 crimes.
In a coup for Brimbank police, the rate of robberies decreased six per cent to below 260 offences and residential burglaries fell by 16 per cent to under 1670 crimes.
Other types of burglaries rose nine per cent to more than 610 incidents and property damage increased nine per cent to more than 1590 offences.
Brimbank’s total crime rate rose 10 per cent during 2012 to a total of 18,940 offences.
Brimbank’s Acting Police Inspector Tim O’Connor said the drop in residential burglaries in the area was a “fantastic result” for police.
“It’s absolutely due to the good work of everyone, but unfortunately you do get people who want to commit these crimes – robberies and armed robberies – on streets and at business premises and we have the Brimbank Embona team who do a very good job and are very successful in terms of arrests,” he said.
Acting Insp O’Connor said the increase in drug offences detected was mainly due to pro-active policing, such as patrols and investigations.
The Acting Inspector said several cannabis crop houses in Brimbank have been the subject of recent police raids.
“We tend to find them in all different locations and certainly with some of the bigger crops we do come across there is sometimes a connection to the house being rented,” he said.
