Crime in Sunbury has bucked a state-wide trend, rising 4 per cent in the year to March.
Latest data from the Crime Statistics Agency revealed there were 2962 offences recorded in Sunbury between April 1 2017 and March 31, 2018, up from 2844 in the previous 12 months.
Across Hume, crime fell by eight per cent overall, with the municipality recording its lowest crime rate since 2014. Victoria’s crime rate fell seven per cent to the lowest figures since 2015.
Sunbury’s crime increase was driven by rises in thefts from motor vehicles, which rose 20 per cent to 331 offences, and assaults, which rose 14 per cent.
In December, nearly every car parked in Kerri Court, Sunbury, was ransacked on the same night, with cash, laptops and iPads stolen.
Police recently reported a spate of thefts from vehicles parked in O’Shanassy Street.
Senior Constable Troy Farley, of Sunbury police, said valuables should never be left in cars. “Lock and double-lock cars. And don’t leave any valuables,” he said.
Despite the increase in overall crime, Sunbury recorded a four per cent drop in burglaries, bringing the number of offences recorded to the lowest level since 2013.
Offences fall in Macedon Ranges
In the Macedon Ranges, overall crime fell by close to 6.5 per cent, to the lowest level since 2015.
Macedon Ranges Inspector Chris Large said the recent execution of drug warrants across the Macedon Ranges, in which three people were charged with a range of drug offences, demonstrated that police were working hard to keep the community safe.
“I’m pleased with the reduction in crime over the past 12 months. We know that illicit drug use can be linked to property crime so this will remain a focus for us over the next 12 months,” he said.
“The theft of number plates is an area of concern, so we are running a number of operations where car owners can have one way screws installed.”
Inspector Large said while the number of recorded residential burglaries rose from 101 at March 2017 to 118 at March 2018, there was no particular trend in relation to burglaries.
The Macedon Ranges also recorded a seven per cent rise in assaults, which Inspector Large said mainly related to matters at the Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre.
