By Laura Wakely
BRIMBANK Inspector Mick Grainger is “shattered” by the nine deaths on roads in the police service area (PSA) this year.
Insp Grainger is hoping that figure won’t increase over summer, when people take to the roads on holidays.
“I’m really concerned that we don’t have any deaths on the roads,” Insp Grainger said.
“I’ve been telling my staff consistently, our responsibility is to enforce the road rules.
“We’ll do that without fear or favour because, if we don’t, people will get hurt.”
The warning came after Victoria Police released the crime statistics comparing the crimes recorded between October 2010 and September 2011 to those recorded between October 2009 and September 2010.
Crime in Brimbank PSA has risen 13.5 per cent, with 16,480 in the past year.
The biggest increase in crime was theft of motor vehicles, with 46.5 per cent increase on last year and 1210 offences recorded.
“Vehicle crime in general, both of cars and from cars continues to be an issue that we’re concerned about,” Insp Grainger said.
“Part of it’s about the community having some responsibility and that their cars are secured and that their goods and chattels are out of sight.
“Even $10 in a tray in the console can be attractive to a thief.”
Property crime is also up 17.9 per cent, with 12,114 crimes in the past year, which has prompted the Brimbank PSA to run regular patrols of building sites and residential “hotspots”.
Crimes against the person, which includes assaults and family violence, rose 20.4 per cent with 1999 incidents.
However, drug offences have dropped 16.2 per cent with 677 crimes recorded in the past year.
Insp Grainger said that figure reflected the “complexity” of investigations led by the Brimbank Drug Unit, which lead to less arrests.
But he warned criminals not to get “comfortable”.
“I’m really confident that we’re doing all the right things to do our part to reduce crime over time.”
