‘Family incidents’ up 13% Bass Coast, 22% South Gippsland

BOTH Bass Coast and South Gippsland have recorded a worrying rise in the number of ‘Family Incidents’ in the Crime Statistics Agency (CSA) figures just released for the year ending September 30, 2021.

The total number of Family Incidents in South Gippsland was up from 433 in 2020 to 529 in 2021; an increase of 22.2%.

Predictably most of the incidents were against women, 397 as compared to 132 offences against men.

In Bass Coast, the number of Family Incidents was up 13% from 825 to 832, with 687 women affected and 242 men.

But of concern is the overall trend in South Gippsland and Bass Coast where the number of Family Incidents per 100,000 is above the state average and rising.

Back in 2018, the number of Family Incidents per 100,000 in South Gippsland was actually below the state average 1173.3 compared to the average of 1206.8.

But, possibly as a result of a targeted police effort, as much as an increase in the number of incidents, South Gippsland has gone above the state average in 2019, 2020 and 2021; up by 22.2% this year to 1732.4 incidents per 100,000 against the state average of 1385.6.

Bass Coast’s number of incidents per 100,000 has always been above the state average, this year up 13% or 2415.3 Family Incidents per 100,000 compared to the state average of 1385.8.

It was against a backdrop of an increase in Family Violence-related offences of 4.3% across the state but a drop in the number of recorded offences overall, mostly driven by a decrease in the number of charges related to the COVID-19 safety settings.

Victorian crime rate down

The Crime Statistics Agency (CSA) has just released the Victorian recorded crime statistics for the year ending September 30, 2021.

The recorded offences rate decreased 9.8% to 7430.6 per 100,000 Victorians in the last 12 months, as did the number of offences, down 10.0% to 496,260.

But this decrease was driven by acquisitive crime types and Breach of Chief Health Officer (CHO) directions.

In contrast, ‘Crimes against the person’ offences increased in the last 12 months, up 2.2% to 84,756, with the main contributor’s non-family violence (FV) related Common assault and Serious assault.

Despite the overall decrease in offences, Family Violence-related offences increased 4.3% to 112,062 offences. Half of all FV-related offences were E20 Breach of order offences (up 7.6% or 3,992 to 56,280 offences).

South Gippsland

While the rate of criminal incidents per 100,000 across Victoria is 7430.6 it’s way down at 1117 per 100,000 in South Gippsland to the end of September 2021, a drop of 10.8%

The top 5 offences included: Breach of Family Violence Orders 150, Criminal Damage 120, Other Thefts 92, Common Assault 85 and Sex Offences 68.

The number of recorded offences went down from 1771 to 1725 in 2021, down 2.6%.

But the number of alleged offender incidents in South Gippsland actually went up from 661 to 674 in the year to September 30, up from 661 to 674, a 2% increase.

Top offences included: Assault & Related Incidents 178, Breach of Orders 140, Theft 57, Property Damage 54, Burglaries & Break-ins 51.

Bass Coast

Criminal Incidents in Bass Coast were up by 11.47% per 100,000 or 11.4% for the year to September 30, from 1906 to 2124.

The ‘Top 5’ categories were Breach of Family Violence Order 292, Criminal Damage 205, Common Assault 145, Other Theft 144 and Steal from Vehicle 132.

The ‘Top 5 Locations’ include House 899, Street 262, Driveway 83, Apartment 62 and Frontyard 61.

The number of recorded offences is up by 12.8% from 2721 to 3069 with Breach of Family Violence Orders 600, Criminal Damage 265, Other Theft 213, Common Assault 167 and Steal from Vehicles 162.

Alleged Offender Incidents were up 22.4% in Bass Coast from 987 to 1208 including Assault & Related 362, Breach of Orders 225, Theft 101, Stalking & Harassment 97 and Criminal Damage 82. The offenders were largely men 870 compared to 338 women.

State-wide crime details

In the 12 months to September 30, 2021 the criminal incident rate decreased 13.0% to 5,358.1 per 100,000 Victorians as did the number of incidents, down 13.2% to 357,847 incidents.

Alleged offender incidents decreased 10.5% to 173,478 in the last 12 months; the rate also decreased 10.4% to 2,955.7 per 100,000. This decrease was driven by fewer Breach of CHO directions offences, drug offences and acquisitive crime types.

On the other hand, Breach family violence order increased (up 17.0%), as did Common assault and Serious assault.

The victimisation rate decreased by 6.8% to 3,018.4 reports per 100,000 Victorians, as did the count of person victim reports (down 7.0% to 201,564).

This decrease was driven by acquisitive crime types. Family violence-related victims remained stable in the last 12 months while non-FV Crimes against the person increased (main contributor Non-FV Assault offence types).

Family incidents increased 2.8% in the last 12 months to 95,552 incidents, as did the rate of family incidents, also up 3.1% to 1,385.8 incidents per 100,000 Victorians. The first quarter (Oct to Dec 2020) recorded the most incidents, with a decreasing trend observed in the following quarters.

CSA Chief Statistician Fiona Dowsley said that “COVID-19-related restrictions on movement have continued to coincide with decreases in the more opportunistic crime types such as theft, however, there have been fewer Breaches CHO directions offences recorded in the past 12 months.”

“While half of the FV-related offences recorded in the last 12 months were Breaches of orders, increases in Crimes against the person offences were driven by non-FV-related assaults,” Ms Dowsley said.

See full report released today: https://www.crimestatistics.vic.gov.au/