The Baillieu Government’s ‘tough on crime’ agenda is in tatters, with new statistics showing a 9.4% increase in total crime, Member for Tarneit Tim Pallas said today.

Mr Pallas said the statistics, issued by Victoria Police, showed that the overall crime rate in Wyndham increased by 9.4% while the state’s overall crime also rose by 4.1 per cent in the past 12 months to March.

“For the first time in more than a decade, the overall crime rate in Victorian has increased,” Mr Pallas said.

“This is a major embarrassment for the Premier, who has boasted about his ‘tough on crime’ credentials.” Over the past 12 months Wyndham has experienced significant rises in the rates of the following crime categories:

• Property damage
       – increased by 10.9%
• Residential
       burglary – increased by 14.9%
• Motor vehicle
       theft – increased by 9.3%
• Drug offences –
       increased by 13.4%

 “These statistics tell the story of a do-nothing Premier who is failing in his promise
to tackle crime in Victoria,” Mr Pallas said.

“Whilst it is pleasing to see a reduction in road related injuries, Wyndham recorded a more than doubling of road fatalities from 2010 to 2011.” 

“This increase in the crime rate follows a decade of concerted effort by Victoria Police and Labor which saw a 30 per cent reduction in overall crime and a reduction in crime every single year.

“The police in Wyndham do a fantastic job enforcing the law, but they need more support from the Government.

“One of the major areas of concern is the spike in family violence – an area in which Mr Baillieu has shown no leadership at all.

“After 18 months, we are still waiting for a strategy to tackle domestic violence.

“A strategy is apparently being formulated with the office of women’s affairs, but family violence is not a women’s issue – it’s a community issue.

 “Assault is a crime, regardless of whether it’s on the street or in the living room, and Mr Baillieu must start taking it seriously.”

 For more information visit http://www.vicpolicenews.com.au/myplace.html