By CASEY NEILL
CRIME across Greater Dandenong jumped 21 per cent during 2015, latest Crime Statistics Agency figures show.
But Greater Dandenong Inspector Bruce Kitchen said the figure wasn’t all bad news.
The agency released the statistics for the year ending 31 December last year on 17 March.
They showed 19,498 offences recorded across the Greater Dandenong police service area (PSA), up from 16,104 in the previous 12 months.
This was the state’s fifth highest offence rate and the 21 per cent increase was well above the 8.1 per cent figure for Victoria.
“It’s not always bad news. A lot of it is detected,” Insp Kitchen said.
He said burglaries and thefts of and from cars remained his biggest concerns.
Burglary or break and enter crimes increased 13 per cent in the PSA, only slightly above the state-wide 9 per cent jump.
Insp Kitchen said residential burglaries were down and that it was commercial burglaries – on factories and shops – which caused the most problems.
“Predominantly, they’re recidivist offenders who break into those shops,” he said.
Theft was up 38 per cent – well above the state’s 11 per cent increase.
Insp Kitchen said thefts of two matching number plates were recorded as a car theft, and this accounted for 40 per cent of motor car thefts in Greater Dandenong.
“When they steal the number plates that’s all they are stealing,” he said.
He encouraged motorists to secure their plates with one-way screws.
Insp Kitchen said many thefts from cars were opportunistic and occurred because valuables were in plain sight.
He urged people to park their car under a street light or in a driveway, lock their car and take valuables inside.
“They’re predominantly in residential areas. They’re not in community locations such as railway stations or shopping centre car parks,” he said.
Overall drug offences increased by 23 per cent in Greater Dandenong, from 1103 to 1359.
The drug use and possession, and drug dealing and trafficking categories both increased by 20 per cent, about 3 per cent above the state average.
The number of drug cultivating and manufacturing crimes jumped from 41 to 81 – a rise of 97 per cent.
“That’s just a continual problem in relation to crop houses and in relation to ice,” Insp Kitchen said.
“Crop house are utilised to finance the higher-end drugs.
“We concentrate on disruption activities in relation to crop houses.
“Ice remains a problem for us.”
Insp Kitchen was said he was unconcerned about a 30 per cent increased in breaches of orders. The state-wide figure was 11.5 per cent.
“We proactively target people who breach orders, so that’s a good news story for us,” he said.
Insp Kitchen said Greater Dandenong was leading the state in reducing family violence, which had dropped about 4 per cent.
He said overall assaults remained about even, putting the result down to improvements made in boarding houses and an alcohol diversion program.
“That is one of the good news stories in relation to what I’ve achieved in the time I’ve been here,” he said.
“The assaults when I first started here, they were really high.”
