One of Shepparton’s top police officers is pleased with last year’s crime statistics for Greater Shepparton, saying they remained steady with previous years.
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Greater Shepparton Local Area Commander Inspector Bruce Simpson said while the recently released 2023 data from the Crime Statistics Agency showed a slight increase in the number of criminal incidents in the previous year, the number of criminal offences had dropped.
The statistics for the 12 months to December 31, 2023, showed 5734 criminal incidents in Greater Shepparton.
This was up 2.4 per cent — a total of 133 incidents — on 2022.
Breaches of family violence intervention orders were at the top of the list of the types of criminal incidents — with 628 recorded for the year.
This was followed by breaches of bail conditions, with 520 of this type of offence recorded.
However, both categories saw falls in the number of incidents on the previous 12 months.
There were 490 cases of criminal damage recorded for the year, while there were also 438 incidents of people stealing from vehicles.
A total of 359 “other thefts” rounded out the top five types of criminal incidents in Greater Shepparton.
The number of offences recorded dropped 4.07 per cent, with 8503 offences in 2023, down by 418 offences on the previous year.
“This is indicating a fairly stable environment, which is pleasing,” Insp Simpson said.
“To try and keep a lid on crime is challenging, and this is a credit to the whole community that we have.”
“There are not a lot of jump ups in (in the number of criminal incidents on previous years), and with the breaches (of family violence intervention orders) the jump-down is not much.”
The number of family incidents in 2023 remained relatively steady, with 1780 recorded — an increase of only seven incidents on the previous year.
The number of crimes against a person saw 1037 recorded this year, down by 63 on 2022.
Of these, there were 673 assaults this year — the lowest number recorded since 2018.
“This is really pleasing,” Insp Simpson said.
He was pleased that the number of assaults had been the lowest since pre-COVID-19 times.
Fifteen robberies were also recorded — an increase of the number recorded the previous year — while there were 113 incidents of stalking and harassment, which was down from 130 incidents in 2022.
In 2023, there were 27 arson incidents in Greater Shepparton.
While this was up for two incidents on the previous year, it was at least halved on the number of incidents between 2014 and 2021.
Property damage was up by five incidents only on the 2022 figures, with 506 incidents, but was down on the other years in the past decade.
There were 565 burglaries in 2023 — the highest number since 2019.
“The pleasing thing is they haven’t climbed p to pre-COVID rates,” Insp Simpson said.
Thefts were also up on 2022, with 1235 recorded, but these numbers were lower than from 2014 to 2021.
Fifty-seven drug dealing incidents were recorded in 2023 — down by 20 on the previous year.
However, these numbers were up on other yearly figures recorded since 2014.
The number of incidents of people cultivating or manufacturing drugs — a total of 51 — was almost double all figures from the past 10 years, however Insp Simpson is not concerned about this increase in numbers.
“They are what we call detection offences,” he said.
“This is pro-active police investigations.
“Our Crime Investigation Unit has been really proactive in detecting drugs.
“We’re doing well in getting drug offenders held to account.”
The crime statistics showed the 187 weapons and explosives incidents in 2023 were the highest recorded since 2019.
Insp Simpson said police were concerned that the propensity for people carrying knives was increasing throughout Victoria.
He said these figures showed police were keeping knives off the streets but could not say whether more people were carrying knives these days or just more people were getting caught with them.
Disorderly and offensive conduct incidents — of which there were 187 — were also the highest number recorded since 2019.
Overall, Insp Simpson said he was pleased with the 2023 crime statistics for Greater Shepparton.
“The overall message I got, is that post-COVID, the Shepparton community is doing really well,” he said.
“The lack of an increase in crime means it remains a fairly safe place to live.”
Insp Simpson did, however, note that there was a victim for every crime in Greater Shepparton and said police would like for there to be no crime at all, especially those crimes against a person.
“But we’re not living in utopia, so these numbers are pretty good,” he said.
2023 Greater Shepparton crimes
Criminal incidents 5734
Offences recorded 8503
Family incidents 1780
Breach of family violence intervention orders 628
Breach of bail conditions 520
Criminal damage 490
Stealing from vehicles 438
Assault 673
Arson 27
Property damage 506
Burglaries 565
Theft 1235
Drug dealers 57
Cultivate and manufacture drugs 51
Weapons and explosives 187
Senior Journalist