Crime rate drops to lowest level since 2012

The latest data from the Crime Statistics Agency, pertaining to the number of offences recorded across the state in the year ending September 2021, was released on Thursday morning.

It reveals the number of offences recorded in the Ballarat Police Service Area, which includes Ballarat and Pyrenees, has dropped to the lowest number since 2012.

Calculated per 100,000 population, the data reveals there were 9529 offences recorded in the area in 2012.

The numbers have fluctuated in the succeeding years and peaked in 2016, when 11,315 offences were recorded.

Yet the latest release shows the crime rate has continued to decline since then, with 8657 offences recorded in the year ending September.

It is a decline of 23 per cent in the last five years.

Meanwhile, the crime rate has also dropped in the Moorabool Police Service Area, which includes Moorabool, Hepburn and Golden Plains shires since it also peaked in 2016.

Substantially lower than the Ballarat PSA, the number of offences recorded there was 4171 in 2012, peaked at 5950 in 2016 and has dropped back down to 4491 in the latest release.

With these positive results, divisional superintendent Frank Sells said police would continue to work with the community and would implement innovative tactics to ensure local policing was "contemporary and responsive" to maintain the low levels of crime.

He said police believed the COVID-19 pandemic had suppressed crime, particularly during lockdown periods, and the policing model would continue to be reviewed to ensure it was fit for purpose.

"The next 12 months provides a great opportunity for police to reconnect and enhance our level of engagement with the community," he said.

The latest data shows that many of the higher harm offences have reduced or remained steady across the division.

These include non-family violence related assaults and sexual offences.

Residential aggravated burglaries, criminal damage, receiving or handling stolen goods and firearms offences have all remained relatively steady, as has theft of motor vehicles and drug possession.

However, some specific theft offences have increased slightly in the Ballarat area.

These include theft from motor vehicles (1141 offences recorded in the Ballarat PSA) and theft from retail stores (439).

Superintendent Sells said theft from motor vehicles often occurred through opportunity where vehicles were left unlocked with valuables visible inside.

"There is considerable impact to victims, particularly where credit cards and identity documents are stolen as these can lead to further offences.

"Such situations carry stress and inconvenience for the victim in terms of cancelling credit cards, identity documents and the like, and then having to replace these as well," he said.

"Similarly, theft from retail settings are often through opportunity, however, most do get caught at some point in their offending."

Previous coverage: Crime rate drops in Ballarat with key exceptions

Meanwhile, the number of family violence offences have reported to police, including serious and common assault, have remained steady in the last year. Though in saying this, they are still quite high.

Superintendent Sells said that similarly to what occurred across the state, police had noticed a spike in family violence at the start of lockdown periods.

While breaches of family violence orders remain high across the division, police are proactively working to address the issue and this could account for why the numbers were high.

With restrictions eased, Superintendent Sells reiterated that the last two years had been "tough for the community".

"We haven't experienced anything like it previously and now as we move towards a more normal existence I'd ask the community to be courteous and respectful to others," he said.

"If this becomes our starting point then community safety will be enhanced."

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