By Belinda Nolan
SEXUAL deviants, armed robbers and police impersonators are among dozens of criminals who remain at large in Brimbank, despite the best efforts of police to catch them.
The Crime Stoppers database contains nearly 100 cold cases that remain unsolved in Brimbank, some dating back to 2008.
Crimes against the person, including armed robberies and assaults, are by far the most common, with theft, deception and mis-sing persons also among the cases.
The majority of unsolved crimes were committed in the Sunshine area, followed by St Albans and Keilor.
Many of the cold cases are vicious and violent, involving gangs and weapons, with areas around train stations a common stomping ground for criminals.
Some of the more brutal crimes include a man who was bashed in the head with a piece of wood by two robbers in St Albans in September 2009 – and a man who was stunned with a taser during a gang attack in Albion in April of the same year.
Police are still hunting for a man who stalked a group of girls in Albion over a four day period.
Two men impersonating detectives from the Sunshine Crime Investigation Unit during a robbery in Cairnlea are also yet to be caught.
But the Crime Stoppers figures could be the tip of the iceberg.
Brimbank Acting Inspector Paul Allinson would not reveal the total number of unsolved crimes in the municipality but said many minor offences such as theft from cars often went unsolved.
Acting Insp Allinson said Brimbank police had great success solving cases which involved drugs and weapons offences but a lower clearance rate for theft from cars and some assaults and robberies.
“Any crime committed where the perpetrator has taken precautions to disguise themselves or aren’t known to the victim, is always a challenge,” he said.
“But when it comes to serious crime there is no statute of limitations.
“The likelihood of solving cases diminishes with the passage of time but nothing ever gets removed off our system.
“If new evidence comes up years later, the case will be re-opened and investigated.”
Anyone with information about criminal activity can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
