Tom Parry
LEVELS of criminal activity in the Wellington Shire remain below the state average, according to the latest data from the Crime Statistics Agency.
The state government-funded agency recorded 3067 criminal incidents in the Shire in the year to March 2023, up from 2954 in the same period last year – an increase of approximately 3.8 per cent.
This figure is also higher than the 10-year average of 2976 criminal incidents per year; the highest figure recorded in the past decade is 3385, which occurred in 2020.
Yet despite the increase in crimes reported, these statistics are below average when compared to other local government areas in Victoria.
Statewide, the average rate of criminal incidents per 100,000 people is 7349.1; in Wellington, that figure is 6653.8 incidents per 100,000 people.
Additionally, Wellington’s rates of crime are lower than neighbouring shires in the Gippsland region.
East Gippsland Shire recorded 3349 criminal incidents in the same period, while Latrobe City recorded 8072.
East Gippsland’s rate of criminal incidents per 100,000 people was 6775.8, while Latrobe City’s was 10,319.1 – the highest figure in Gippsland and second-highest in Victoria overall.
The most common offences recorded in Wellington Shire were Breaches of Orders (991 incidents), Theft (784), Assault and related offences (542) and Property damage (357).
Minister for Police Anthony Carbines said the latest crime statistics highlight “the remarkable work police are doing to keep the community safe”.
“Our record $4.5 billion investment in Victoria Police means they have the resources and tools they need to keep our community safe, including funding for more than 3600 new police officers,” Mr Carbines said.
“The statistics show a stabilisation of the offence rate following a period of lower crime rates while more people were home during the height of the pandemic.
“The statewide offence rate remains below 2019 levels.”
In a statement released in response to the statistics, Member for Gippsland South and Danny O’Brien said the figures represented a “concerning trend with crime” and called upon the state government to respond.
“I am grateful to our local police who continue to do an amazing job under difficult circumstances with the resources available to them, but it is clear from the local people I hear from and these recent statistics that more needs to be done,” Mr O’Brien said.
“The Andrews Labor Government needs to do more to improve police numbers and police presence, including the manning of stations.
“We heard at recent budget committee hearings that there remain 800 unfilled vacancies around the state.
“It is time for the Andrews Labor Government to prioritise our regional towns and ensure they are provided the police resources required to drive these statistics down.”
A government spokesperson told the Gippsland Times that the deployment of police officers and station openings are a matter for the Chief Commissioner.
Mr Carbines said the government “will continue to back our police with the resources they need to keep the community safe and keep investing in early intervention measures to make sure people avoid entering the justice system in the first place”.
