News

Police | October 10, 2019

Community safety must come first

The Andrews Labor Government is failing to protect communities, as Victoria records the highest number of criminals in 15 years.

Figures from the Crime Statistics Agency show that since Daniel Andrews was elected in 2014 crime has only continued to rise across the Lowan electorate with the following statistics reported:

• 89% increase in the number of offences in Hindmarsh Shire Council from 228 to 360.
• 65% increase in the number of offences in Southern Grampians Shire Council from 953 to 1,388.
• 67% increase in the number of offences in Ararat Rural City Council from 1,019 to 1,301.
• 37% increase in the number of offences in Yarriambiack Shire Council from 355 to 406.
• 63% increase in the number of offences in Horsham Rural City Council from 2,379 to 2,727.  Horsham also had the third highest criminal incident rates in the year ending June 2019, with 13,723 offences per 100,000 estimated resident population, up 9.9% since last year.
• 52% increase in the number of offences in Northern Grampians Shire Council from 936 to 997.

Across the State, recorded offences in Victoria are up 12% since December 2014, with an extra 20 crimes recorded each and every day in the past year alone.

Member for Lowan Emma Kealy said the State Government had failed locals across Western Victoria, at a time when Victorians have the worst perception of safety in the nation.

“These new figures show that community safety has been neglected under the Andrews Labor Government,” Ms Kealy said.

“Everyone has the right to feel safe in their homes and communities, but Daniel Andrews has failed to protect Victorians, as crime continues to grow.

“While local police do a great job in our communities, under Labor crime has risen due to Daniel Andrews’s unwillingness to deliver for regional Victorians and tackle crime.

“The Andrews Government missed another opportunity recently to help our farmers tackle rural crime with its Farm Crime Coordination Unit failing to include any increase to the number of frontline police dedicated to solving rural crime.”

Despite the Andrews Labor Government’s $200 million ‘ICE Action Plan’, there has been an increase of 137% in Ice possession across the state since December 2014.

And more 15 year-olds are committing violent offences than ever before, as Daniel Andrews fails to tackle worsening youth crime.

“Daniel Andrews and Labor have no plan to keep Victorians safe in their homes, to keep our communities free from crime or to make sure young people don’t find themselves in trouble with the law,” Ms Kealy said.