New data shows crime in the Greater Bendigo Region has decreased significantly during the past year, but there's been a worrying increase in the number of sexual offences and dangerous driving offences reported.
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The Crime Statistics Agency (CSA) data reveals the number of recorded offences in Bendigo declined at a rate greater than the state-wide result, with crime across the Greater Bendigo region down by 7.5 per cent.
"It is pleasing to see overall crime in Greater Bendigo at its lowest level since 2018, which is testament to our proactive approach to reducing crime in the region," Bendigo police Superintendent Bradley Dixon said.
"This included the lowest number of homes and businesses being broken into in Greater Bendigo in the last decade.
"By way of comparison, there were 287 less homes and businesses broken into than three years ago - a 35 per cent decrease."
Concerningly, sexual offences were still on the rise, with no discernible reasons or incidents that drove the overall increase in sex offending.
CSA data also showed crime was higher in the Bendigo, Golden Square, and California Gully areas.
"While offending has increased slightly in Bendigo, Golden Square, and California Gully, it still remains substantially below the crime rate seen pre-pandemic," Superintendent Dixon said.
"Over the coming festive period, police will be out in force surrounding busy community locations to ensure everyone gets home safely, however we also need the community to take care of one another when socialising and drinking over this period."
Superintendent Dixon said there was a 12.9 per cent reduction in overall family violence offences, which was heartening.
"However, we do expect overall offending will gradually increase as we move further away from the pandemic," he said.
State-wide there's been a jump in youth violence in Victoria but crime overall has dropped to an eight-year low.
The number of criminal offences in the state in the year to September fell to 474,446, a drop of 4.3 per cent compared to the same time last year.
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However the data released by the CSA on Thursday showed an 8.6 per cent rise in crimes committed by people aged 10-17 compared to the previous 12 months.
Victoria Police attributes a significant portion of the most serious youth offending to gangs.
Aggravated burglaries, when a victim is home at the time of the crime, have risen to a six-year high of 4214.
The force believes this is due partly to youth offenders entering homes to steal cars, as well as Victorians spending more time at home due to lifestyle shifts during the pandemic.
Breaking and entering offences dropped to almost 31,000 incidents across the state, the lowest figure since 1993.
Assault offences increased 1.1 per cent and there was also an increase in dangerous driving offences.
There were 3700 fewer family violence offences compared to 2020-21 however police say they are treating the figures "with caution" because offending can go unreported for long periods.
Deputy Commissioner Rick Nugent said the force is now bracing for an uptick in crime.
"While we anticipate overall crime will increase gradually as we move further away from the pandemic, Victoria Police will be doing everything we can to keep crime as low as possible," he said in a statement.
"Unfortunately, all offending cannot be prevented and when serious crimes occur, we will respond and ensure those responsible are arrested as soon as possible."
- with Australian Associated Press
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