Statistics released by Victoria Police today show that Wyndham has again seen a rise in the overall crime rate well above the state average increase.

In the year to 2012, Wyndham’s total crime rate per 100,000 population increased by 10 per cent compared to the previous year. This is almost 70 per cent above the overall
Victorian increase of 5.9 per cent, which Premier Ted Baillieu has described as “frightening.”

“In 2010, Mr Baillieu promised as Opposition Leader that a Government he led would ‘make Victoria safe again’[1] but this is the second quarter in a row in which crime has increased across the state under his Government,” said Tarneit MP Tim Pallas.

The crime rise in Wyndham has been driven by drug and property crimes. The number of drugs offences in Wyndham increased by 60.3 per cent. The rate of drugs crimes per 100,000 population increased by 49.4 per cent, well over twice the Victorian average of 20.7 per cent.

The number of crimes against property increased by 16.8 per cent in Wyndham, with motor vehicle thefts the worst, with the number of occurrences increasing by 41 per cent. The number of instances of theft from a motor vehicle increased by 27.6 per cent, and the
number of residential burglaries increased by 17.1 per cent.

“Premier Baillieu has disappointed the people of Victoria by his failure to act, and the
western suburbs continue to bear the brunt of this lethargy,” said Mr Pallas.

“Crime is getting worse across Victoria and in Wyndham, not better, and Mr Baillieu
does not seem to be working to fix it.”

Mr Pallas said the Baillieu Government had cut $65 million from Victoria Police, slashed 480 jobs from the Department of Justice and 350 jobs from Victoria Police while crime increased.

“While the Government is cutting police resources and failing to reduce crime, it is implementing a bungled PSO policy which has blown out by more than $60 million and is behind schedule,” Mr Pallas said.

“Under the previous Labor Government, crime rates reduced for ten years but these statistics show law and order is going backwards under Baillieu.”