How safe is your municipality?
CRIMINAL offences have risen in all Wimmera municipalities expect for Horsham.
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Superintendent Paul Margetts said he was happy with Wimmera’s performance overall and said increases in offences reflected an increase in reporting and police operations.
“I think overall our actual crime is quite low compared with other areas across the state and our communities are really safe,” he said.
Hindmarsh – total offences up 63.6 per cent
- Sexual offences up 142.9 per cent from 14 to 34
- Stalking, harassment and threatening behaviour offences up 100 per cent, from nine to 18 offences
- Dangerous and negligent acts endangering life up 450 per cent from two to 11 offences
- Burglary and break and enter up 135.3 per cent from 17 to 40
- Theft up 111.4 per cent from 35 to 74
Hindmarsh Shire saw the largest rise in offences, which jumped 63.6 per cent on the year ending December 2015.
“The Hindmarsh burglary increase relates to two identified offenders and a series of burglaries and thefts related offences for which we have investigated and operations running,” he said.
“One had been apprehended with investigations ongoing.”
Horsham – total offences down 6.7 per cent
- Robbery increased from one to four offences, up 300 per cent
- Dangerous and negligent acts endangering life up 77.8 per cent from 18 to 32
- Abduction and related offences down 70 per cent from eight to two
- Property damage decreases 24.2 per cent from 491 to 371
- Drug dealing and trafficking down 59.1 per cent from 22 to nine
- Cultivate or manufacture drugs increase from six to nine offences up 50 per cent
Superintendent Margetts said the decrease in Horsham crimes was a credit to officers.
“Horsham’s drop is a result of really active police work within the community around theft from, and of, motor vehicles and property damage, they’re all down on the previous 12 months as a result of operations and offenders who are charged and taken to court,” he said.
Northern Grampians – total offences up 17.7 per cent
- Assault and related offences up 30.7 per cent from 114 to 149
- Sexual offences up 45.7 per cent from 35 to 51
- Stalking, harassment and threatening down 23.7 per cent from 97 to 74
- Arson decreased 58.4 per cent from 77 to 32
- Burglary and break and enter from 62 to 104
- Deception offences up 142.9 from 7 to 17
- Drug dealing and trafficking down 59.1 per cent from 22 to nine
- Cultivate and manufacture drugs up 150 per cent from four to 10 offences
- Drug use and possession up 116.7 per cent from 54 to 177
- Weapons and explosives offences up 63.4 from 41 to 67
Superintendent Margetts said a rise in drug charges in both Ararat and Northern Grampians municipalities reflected police operations and the execution of warrants in Stawell, Ararat and St Arnaud which resulted in the seizure of drugs.
West Wimmera – total offences up 25 per cent
- Sexual offences up 46.2 per cent from 13 to 19
- Property damage down 80 per cent from five to one
- Theft up 122.2 per cent from 27 to 60
- Deception up 450 per cent from two to 11
- Drug use and possession up 60 per cent from 10 to 16
- Weapons and explosives down 61.5 per cent from 13 to five
Yarriambiack – total offences up 49.1 per cent
- Assault and related offences up 49.1 per cent, from 55 to 82
- Sexual offences up 65.2 from 23 to 38
- Arson up 400 per cent from 2 to 10 offences
- Property damage down 21.5 per cent from 65 to 51
- Burglary, break and enter down 28.1 per cent from 57 to 41
- Weapons and explosives down 72 per cent from 25 to seven
- Public nuisance down 68.2 from 22 to seven
- Breach of orders up 60.6 per cent from 53 to 33
Ararat – total offences up 4.3 per cent
- Public nuisance offenders up 90 per cent from 10 to 19
- Drug use and possession up 110.5 per cent from 76 to 160
- Sexual offences up 17.1 per cent from 41 to 48
- Assault and other related offences up 16.2 from 216 to 251
- Homicide and related offences up from 0 to 2
Superintendent Margetts said the increase in assault in Ararat reflected police following up on prisoner assaults in Hopkins Correctional Centre.