Melbourne CBD the worst area for drug crimes in Victoria

New crime statistics have revealed the worst areas in Victoria for different drug offences. See if your area is a hotbed for drugs.

The local government areas which recorded the highest number of drug offences in 2021 have been revealed.

Data from Crime Statistics Victoria shows the Melbourne CBD and outer fringe suburbs were a hotbed for drug-related crime, while some parts of regional Victoria stood out for a high rate of offending relative to population size.

Drug possession offences occurred most in the Melbourne, Casey, Knox, Frankston and Dandenong LGAs, while regional areas including Northern Grampians, Ararat and Latrobe had the highest rates of drug possession per 100,000 people behind only Melbourne.

Localised drug trafficking offences during 2021 told a similar story, with the City of Melbourne standing out with 406 offences.

The Brimbank, Hume and Yarra LGAs had the next highest number of trafficking offences, while Wellington Shire and Wangaratta topped the list for the rate of misdemeanours by population.

The drug cultivation capital of Victoria in 2021 was Brimbank, with 65 recorded offences.

Whittlesea, Melton, Greater Geelong and Wyndham were all popular areas for those growing drugs, while the Pyrenees Council Shire area saw a surprising six offences at the highest rate per 100,000 people.

Boroondara, Stonnington, Bayside, Nillumbik and Glen Eira were among the quietest areas in terms of drug crimes across all categories.

Reason Party Leader Fiona Patten said the over-representation of lower socio-economic areas in the drug possession statistics showed a change in drug enforcement strategy was needed in Victoria.

“People seem to think that no one gets arrested for possession but tens of thousands of charges are laid every year,” Ms Patten said.

“The penalties keep going up but it hasn’t reduced the number of people who use drugs – it shows we need a different approach.”

Drug possession charges were a drain on the justice system and could not break people out of a cycle of drug abuse, Ms Patten said.

“If we start treating it as a health issue, the knock-on effects will be reduced crime overall and an ability to provide better treatment to those who need it most.

“People talk about being hard on crime, but we need to be smart on crime.”

The Andrews government has agreed to a discreet trial in two LGAs which will decriminalise the possession and use of small quantities of drugs.

“Drugs cause a great deal of harm, but this trial could change someone’s trajectory,” Ms Patten said.