Horsham Rural City area continues to have the third highest rate of any municipality in Victoria for recorded offence rates, but criminal incidents are trending down in several categories.
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The latest report by Crime Statistics Agency Victoria, released on Thursday, reveals in the 12 months to March 31, there were 14,382.8 offences per 100,000 estimated resident population.
When the previous report was released in March, the rate was 15,167.1 offences per 100,000.
Wimmera Superintendent Paul Margetts said the high rate of offences reported did not necessarily mean more serious crimes were taking place.
"Police will report offences when someone breaches the conditions of their community corrections order, for example," he said.
"Likewise with drug-related investigations offences are reported as a result of police work, so the rates don't correlate with the community reporting more crimes to police."
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Other Crime Statistics Agency figures show there have been 1442 criminal incidents in the Horsham area in the year to June 1, down from 1637 over the previous 12 month period.
The data shows Horsham bucks the statewide trend when it comes to drug use and theft, both of which increased in the year to March 31.
The number of theft incidents recorded in Horsham dropped by 100 between March 31 2017 and March 31 2019.
"Thefts are generally opportunistic crimes. Property owners can help police by securing their sheds and cars," he said.
"In the last few years we have undertaken initiatives such as promoting one-way screws on number plates and assisting businesses and sports clubs with security through the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design program."
Over the same timeframe, the number of criminal incidents has dropped in Northern Grampians and Yarriambiack shires and remained steady in Hindmarsh and Ararat shires.
West Wimmera saw an increase in criminal incidents from 114 to 125 overall, driven by a slightly higher number of drug and justice procedural offences.
Supt Margetts said some of the drug charges laid in the shire were handed down not to residents, but motorists on the Western Highway with drugs detected in their vehicles.
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