Additional police officers have been a driving factor behind Sunbury’s 6.1 per cent drop in crime, says Hume inspector Anthony Brown.
New Crime Statistics Agency data released last week showed 3009 offences were recorded in Sunbury in the year to June 30, down from 3205 offences in the previous year.
Sunbury crime has decreased across the board, but drug offences have led the way with a 27.3 per cent drop – down from 253 offences last year to 184 this year.
Inspector Brown said Hume police had received more police officers and introduced a new tasking unit.
“We’ve started to receive an influx of additional members across the area,” he said.
The municipality of Hume was allocated 38 extra police officers in May.
Inspector Brown said 21 of the new officers were already working across the area, with the full contingent expected by the end of the year.
He said the new staff had allowed the police unit to do more “targeted tasking”.
“The extra resources have given us the ability to target areas that are hurting us,” Inspector Brown said.
“We’ve created a new tasking unit to target identified crime hotspots.”
He said the unit, which had been going for two months, had already had “some significant impact”.
In Sunbury specifically, Inspector Brown said the police were engaging with transit police to target the train station and bus area.
He said police were aware of anti-social behaviour occurring, particularly from gathering school students, and transit police were going to help provide additional staffing at this spot.
In the Macedon Ranges, crime has maintained a steady rate, with a 0.2 per cent decline recorded in the year to June 30, from 2528 to 2524.
Drug offences dropped 25.1 per cent, from 203 last year to 152 this year.
Statewide, crime decreased 0.6 per cent during the reporting period.
