By BRIDGET COOK
CRIME is up in Casey, with family violence, burglary and theft from cars being prolific contributors to the rise.
Victoria Police released the latest round of crime statistics last week which revealed that overall crime in Casey was up 6.9 per cent from 1 October 2012 to 30 September this year compared to the previous year.
Burglary from factories, shops, schools and sporting clubs was up 29.6 per cent, with residential burglaries dropping by 5.2 per cent.
Another big jump was thefts from cars with a 17.3 per cent rise, however theft of cars was down.
Crimes associated with family violence continue to have an impact on the overall crime rates within Casey, with 1271 cases being reported in the past year – a 1.2 per cent jump from the previous year.
Casey Police Inspector Wayne Viney said he was pleased to say that Casey continued to lead the state in its response to family violence.
“We charge more offenders for crimes associated with violence against women and children than any other police service area within Victoria,” he said.
“Although it has an impact on our crime figures, our primary focus is on protecting women and children who are subject to violence in their own homes.”
With White Ribbon Week held last week, Insp Viney said it was time for all members of the community to stop and think about what they could do to change the community’s culture and attitudes towards violence against women and children.
Insp Viney said police had continued to deploy police to areas experiencing high levels of crime and target known recidivist offenders.
“This strategy has continued to deliver excellent results,” he said.
Robbery was down 31.7 per cent, assaults, excluding Family Violence, were down 9.6 per cent and residential burglary was down 5.2 per cent.
Insp Viney said with the huge jump on thefts from cars, it was obvious people weren’t getting the message about securing their vehicles and not leaving valuables in sight.
“Theft of valuables from motor vehicles is a key driver as to why our crime rate has increased over the past 12 months,” he said.
“I consistently read crime reports where cars were either unlocked or valuables were left in clear view.
“Car owners need to take responsibility and learn that by leaving valuables such as phones, cash, computers, and iPods for example in sight is inviting a would- be thief to break into your car.
“It doesn’t matter where you park – remove everything of value and lock your car. It’s a simple message but one that is consistently ignored.”
