By Jessica Micallef
Macedon Ranges’ overall crime rate has surged by more than 12 per cent in the year to December 2020, the latest data shows.
According to figures released by the Crime Statistics Agency (CSA) last week, the region recorded 2740 offences in the year to December 2020 – a 12.1 per cent increase compared to the previous year.
The top five offences were breach family violence order (356), public health and safety offences (274), other theft (201), drug possession (196) and criminal damage (184).
Gisborne was the worst town for offences recorded (611), followed by Kyneton (508), Woodend (354), Romsey (290) and Lancefield (151).
Nearly 900 recorded offences happened in a house and 608 recorded offences took place in streets, lanes and on footpaths.
Macedon Ranges Inspector Chris Large attributed the spike to COVID-19 breaches.
CSA data shows police issued fines for 273 COVID-19 offences in the Macedon Ranges between April and December last year.
“When you take that out, our crime has relatively remained the same,” Inspector Large said.
“When you look at the data, it contributed to more than 200 offences … and we had the ring of steel.”
More than half of recorded offences in the Macedon Ranges resulted in an arrest or summons, while 25.4 per cent remain unsolved.
In Hume, 2050 fines were issues across for breaching the chief health officer’s directors in 2020, according to the agency.
The municipality was second behind the City of Melbourne for the most fines handed out for breaking COVID-19 lockdown rules (5079). More than 37,500 fines were issues statewide.
More than 90 per cent of the fines issued in Hume was during Victoria’s second COVID-19 wave and strict second lockdown between July and October.
Hume recorded 22,002 offences overall in the year to December 2020 – a 2.7 per cent increase from the previous year.
Sunbury was ranked in the top three for the most offences recorded across Hume (2949).
