Motor vehicle thefts and assaults were the driving factors behind a 5.6 per cent increase in overall crime in the Macedon Ranges.
New Crime Statistics Agency data released last week showed 2632 offences had been recorded in the Macedon Ranges in the year to March 31, up from 2493 the previous year.
Motor vehicle theft soared 44 per cent, with 72 incidents recorded in the past year, up from 50 in the previous 12 months.
While crime in the Macedon Ranges exceeded the state’s 4 per cent rise, Sunbury recorded a 12.8 per cent decline in overall crime.
Macedon Ranges Inspector Ryan Irwin said theft of farm gear, such as quad bikes, from remote properties largely contributed to the growing number of motor vehicle theft.
He said in most cases metropolitan-based offenders moving through the area were responsible for the thefts.
The number of assaults in the Macedon Ranges jumped 50.2 per cent, from 217 cases in the year ending March 2016, up to 326 in the past year.
Inspector Irwin said the “vast majority” of these incidents took place within Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre and were not considered serious.
He said almost 75 per cent of these assault cases were deemed ‘unlawful assaults’ – meaning they did not cause injury.
Many of these were likely to have been “push and shove” incidents, Inspector Irwin said.
Sexual offences in the Macedon Ranges rose by 75.4 per cent in the past year, to 100 from 57.
Inspector Irwin attributed this increase to two ongoing cases which involved repeated offences against the victims.
Meanwhile, arson offences fell by 26.3 per cent and drug dealing dropped by 43.5 per cent in the Macedon Ranges.
There was an overall decline in crime in Sunbury with 2858 offences recorded, down from 3278 in the previous year.
Assault offences dropped by 14 per cent, there was an 18.2 per cent fall in arson incidents, and a 12.6 per cent decrease in burglary cases.
However, drug dealing and trafficking offences rose by 48 per cent.
Hume Inspector Anthony Brown said the increase in the number of drug offences could be attributed to “increased commitment to that area”.
Inspector Brown said police in Sunbury were committed to updating their methodology.
“We are constantly reviewing the ways we investigate crimes,” he said.
