By Cam Lucadou-Wells and Danielle Kutchel
As part of Covid restrictions, more than 2000 “public health and safety offences” were recorded in Greater Dandenong last year.
According to Victoria’s official crime stats, breaches of the Chief Health Officer’s Covid directions were the second most common offence at 2034 for the year – up from a handful the year before. The most common offence category was theft from cars (2096).
Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Rick Nugent said the fines deterred people from “doing the wrong thing” during Covid.
Overall the community obeyed the rules, he said.
Dep Comm Nugent noted an increase in offences involving online sharing of material.
The Crime Statistics Agency (CSA) stated one in five alleged offenders breached the CHO directions on multiple occasions.
Acting Police Minister Danny Pearson said he expected most people to pay their Covid fines – which were “no different to any other fines”.
His expectation was that the “standard rules and practices to ensure compliance” continued.
Overall, crime was up 2.4 per cent in Greater Dandenong despite sizeable drops in assaults, burglaries, thefts, drug trafficking and breaches of bail.
“The pandemic, resulting restrictions and changes in mobility and everyday life impacted on Victorian crime reported to police,” the CSA stated.
Dep Comm Nugent was concerned about a spike in crime now that more people were out from home, which gave burglars more opportunities.
He said the Covid crime numbers were generally the largest reductions he’d ever seen.
JobKeeper and Jobseeker payments also played a role in depressing crime. People weren’t needing to commit crimes to “get those dollars in”.
“We have an eye on the future,” Dep Comm Nugent said.
“We know there’s people struggling. We’ll work with community and others to do what we can to prevent other crimes.”
The main exception to 2020’s quietened crime rate was family violence. Incidents were up by 10.6 per cent to 2818 for the year – more than 50 a week.
In the family violence area, intervention order breaches (up 26 per cent), common assault ( up 3 per cent), threatening behaviour (up 3 per cent).
In June, Victoria Police denied targeting its Covid-19-related Operation Sentinel on Greater Dandenong, despite the council area recording the second-highest number of $1652 fines in the state.
“Operation Sentinel is a 500-person strong taskforce that operates across the state,” a Victoria Police spokesperson said.
“No specific areas are targeted as a part of their tasking. We will not be providing any localised breakdown of incidents or fines.”
In August, nine men were arrested and 38 people fined during a series of anti-lockdown protests in Dandenong South.
At the time, the 3175 postcode, which includes Dandenong and Dandenong South, was the South-East’s Covid hotspot with up to 137 active cases.
“Please don’t try and dress your behaviour up as exercise,” Vicotria Police Asst Comm Luke Cornelius said at the time.
“We all know it’s not, so stop playing us and the wider community for fools.”
“Just for one moment, stop thinking about yourself but spare a thought for the loved ones of nearly 500 Victorians who have died so far (due to Covid-19).
“Stay at home and stop the spread.”
