By Casey Neill
Overall crime has dropped in Greater Dandenong, according to the latest figures.
The Crime Statistics Agency released numbers for the 12 months to 30 September on Thursday 14 December.
In Greater Dandenong recorded incidents decreased 6.5 per cent, from 20,376 to 19,059. The state-wide drop was 4.8 per cent.
“We’re really trending down and we’re trending down at a greater rate than the rate of the state,” Inspector Mark Langhorn said.
“I think it’s now two quarters in a row, maybe even three, that we’ve had reductions in crime.
“We’re really making some in-roads in terms of our community safety.
“We’ll keep focusing on it though.
“Just because there’s some good reductions it doesn’t mean we’re going to take our eye off the ball.”
The Greater Dandenong police service area (PSA) also recorded a bigger drop per 100,000 people – 8.3 per cent compared to the state’s 6.2 per cent.
“That’s how I like to compare our area to other areas,” Insp Langhorn said.
He said there was a good reduction in the number of residential burglaries and thefts.
“They were our issues that were keeping the crime rate really high 12 months ago,” he said.
Insp Langhorn said crimes against the person, including assaults, did increase slightly.
He said there’d be high visibility operations running in January around railway stations to target public order.
“We’re running several operations, particularly around Noble Park, Dandenong and Springvale, involving not just local police, but transit police and the operations response unit out of town,” he said.
“We’re really focusing on things such as drinking in public, which may lead to robberies, or youths congregating.
“We know assaults are still an issue.”
Family related incidents across the state dropped 4.4 per cent in Victoria, but increased 4.9 per cent in Greater Dandenong.
Insp Langhorn said these incidents were likely contributing to the overall assault rate.
He said state-wide Operation Roadwise would run for 24 days from Friday 15 December, until 7 January, and bring increased resources to Greater Dandenong roads.
Insp Langhorn said road safety was the focus but the presence would aid public order.
Drug offences were up slightly in the PSA, from 1535 offences to 1616, but Insp Langhorn said this was due to proactive operations.
“That’s a pretty good result,” he said.
