By Eleanor Wilson
Crime rates in Cardinia Shire have fallen 12.4 per cent in the last 12 months, according to fresh data from the Crime Statistics Agency (CSA).
Released on 15 September, the data shows recorded offences in the municipality are at the lowest rate in at least 10 years, reporting 5128.6 offences per 100,000 residents in the June 2021-’22 period.
But the municipality is struggling to curb a pattern of growing family violence offences, up 1.8 per cent for the second consecutive 12-month period.
Cardinia has recorded a steep climb in family violence incidents in recent years, with offences jumping 22.7 per cent in 2019 and 15.9 per cent in 2020.
Breaching a family violence order was named as the most prevalent offence in the shire – up 6 per cent on 2021-’22 figures.
Criminal damage was the second most common offence, jumping 15 per cent, followed by stealing from a motor vehicle, criminal damage, other theft and common assault.
In more positive news, theft, drug offences and burglary cases all fell by 20 per cent.
Pakenham accounted for 60 per cent of offences in the area, followed by Officer with 15 per cent, before Beaconsfield, Kooweerup and Cockatoo.
Across Victoria, the rate of recorded offences decreased 10.6 per cent to 7121.5 per 100,000 Victorians in the last 12 months, as did the number of offences, down 10.0 per cent to 469,506.
CSA chief statistician Fiona Dowsley said the decrease was driven by a reduction in Breach of Chief Health Officer directions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, down 69.3 per cent or 22,345, to 9919 offences.
Drug possession across the state was down 17.5 per cent and deception fell 20.7 per cent.
“Victoria has seen a notable decrease in overall recorded crime levels during the COVID-19 pandemic period,” Ms Dowsley said.
“Decreases in acquisitive crime such as thefts and deception have contributed to the lowest victimisation numbers and rates since 2005.”
