By Luke Voogt
Geelong’s crime rate has lept by 20 per cent in a year, according to data released on Thursday.
Offences jumped from 8460 to 10,190 per 100,000 residents in the last financial year, the state Crime Statistics Agency figures showed.
Geelong crime rose by almost double the state increase of 11.2 per cent, the data revealed.
Geelong burglaries and thefts were up by 37 per cent but assault and sex offences were down by one and 10 per cent respectively.
Surf Coast crime was up nine per cent.
South Barwon MP Andrew Katos blamed the State Government and called for more police.
“We’re in this position because over the last two years the Andrews government has failed to invest in frontline police.”
The Geelong increase was the biggest in five years, Mr Katos said.
He blamed reduced police hours at Waurn Ponds Police Station for a 21 per cent crime rise in Geelong’s 3216 postcode.
“It’s the crimes against property and person which are quite alarming. People are living in fear at times in their own homes.”
Ms Katos slammed Police Minister and Bellarine MP Lisa Neville.
“Lisa Neville is not even investing resources in her own home town let alone the rest of the state.”
A 24 per cent increase in justice-procedure offences, such as breaching court orders and bail conditions, showed the government was “soft” on offenders, particularly juveniles, Mr Katos said.
“A lot of these offenders don’t have respect for the law. I think that’s the one that really disgusts the community, when people are granted bail and they commit another offence.”
Ms Neville cited a single-offender crime wave for part of Geelong’s crime rate rise after police charged a local man with 1200 offences of tax fraud.
Without his “major impact” Geelong’s rate would be closer to 15 per cent, Ms Neville said.
Geelong police had also been making more arrests due to stronger enforcement and targeted operations, she said.
“We have a six-year trend of increasing crime rates, which is why we’ve funded additional police.”
Mrs Neville said a significant increase in number plates thefts also contributed to the higher crime rate.
“The Government is working with Victoria Police and VicRoads to look at new technologies and strategies to reduce theft of number plates.
“The overwhelming majority of thefts of and from motor vehicles were the result of keys being left in cars or cars being left unlocked,” she said.
