Graham Ashton: Crime has taken a hit but the fight is never over

AS Victorians get ready for the Grand Final long weekend, official stats will announce the first decline in crime rate we have had in six years — but there’s never room for complacency, writes Graham Ashton.

People don’t feel as safe as they once did, which is something everyone at Victoria Police wants to change.

LATER this morning, as Victorians get ready for the Grand Final long weekend, official statistics will be released that confirm the crime rate in Victoria is declining. This will be the first decline we have had in six years and, while we still have a long way to go, it is pleasing news.

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We understand the community has been concerned by previous increases in crime. People don’t feel as safe as they once did, which is something everyone at Victoria Police wants to change.

For us, nothing is more important than keeping people and their property safe. It is the reason our people stand in harm’s way every day and why police will be out in force this long weekend, working hard so that others can enjoy the celebrations.

While the statistics will highlight some ongoing areas of concern for us, I recall this time last year when we were dealing with an increase in crime of about 13 per cent. It’s therefore important to take note of what has been achieved in the past 12 months.

In Australia’s fastest-growing state, property and deception offences such as arson, burglary, break and enter, property damage and fraud are down. So too are offences such as carrying weapons, disorderly and offensive conduct and public nuisance offences.

Drug-related offences have also come down, including drug dealing and trafficking and cultivating or manufacturing drugs.

Other crime categories are stabilising too. For the first time in years we are not seeing growth in high-volume crime such as theft of and theft from motor cars.

Offences such as burglary have decreased in Victoria.

These results are good news and show that our proactive strategies are starting to take effect.

That said, while today’s overall results are pleasing, there are areas of concern.

Crime against the person offences are still up, which is largely due to an increase in robberies and assaults; so too are aggravated burglaries.

In simple terms, while we have halved the growth in those offences, there is much more to do.

We know that those crimes often cause the most concern to the community and we are committed to bringing the figures down. We want people to go about their daily lives without worrying about being the victim of such terrifying crimes.

Our members are working around the clock to keep Victorians safe and I want to take this opportunity to thank them for their hard work.

They are not only arresting offenders in record numbers, but preventing crime from happening in the first place. We also have a number of dedicated teams in place that are focused on key issues throughout the state.

Whether the teams are responding to home invasions or jewellery store robberies, we have ensured there are resources in place to tackle emerging issues.

In addition to the work of police, the community has undoubtedly played a significant role in contributing to the overall decrease in crime.

Thousands of Victoria Police recruits will join the force. Picture: Chris Eastman

THE reality is that police cannot be on every street corner and in every home. That means we rely on the watchful eyes of the entire community to do its bit in keeping themselves and their personal belongings safe.

In the past 12 months, there were just under 55,000 calls made to Crime Stoppers. There was also considerable growth in the number of online reports made by the public. These reports have resulted in police arresting numerous offenders and have assisted us in reducing crime.

On behalf of Victoria Police, I want to thank everyone for their assistance. This growth in reporting shows that people are not afraid to report crime and, quite frankly, we want that to continue.

I also want to take the time to acknowledge victims of crime. We know all too well the impact crime has on their lives. Yet, despite that, they still have the courage to tell their story so that we can arrest offenders.

As I reflect on the year ahead of us, I have no doubt that we will continue to make inroads into all crime categories. In addition to the extra police who have already joined us, we have another 2729 joining our force over the next few years. This is the most significant investment we have ever had in terms of police numbers.

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton.

It will bring our workforce on par with other states in terms of ratio per 100,000 people and means that we will have more members to proactively patrol the streets or work in dedicated taskforces.

We are also going through the biggest technological change in the history of our workforce.

By the end of the year we will start rolling out hi-tech mobile devices to our members.

Instead of having to go back to the station, they will soon be able to capture evidence and file a crime report from their mobile device while on the road.

All of these changes are significant for Victoria Police and will assist us greatly in modernising our workplace.

I have no doubt in my mind that, together with the hard work of our members and the community, these changes will have a positive impact on crime in the future.

Today’s results are pleasing, they show we are on the right path, but we still have a long way to go.

Graham Ashton is chief commissioner of Victoria Police