Property and deception offences are continuing to rise in the Greater Geelong region, according to the Crime Statistics Agency (CSA).
The latest crime statistics for the year ending on June 30 were released on Thursday, September 26, with total offences in Greater Geelong up by 8.1 per cent to 16,990 incidents this year.
Property and deception were the highest offences in Greater Geelong, with an increase of close to 9.2 per cent, from 8984 in 2023 to 9856 in 2024.
Theft incidents were the worst in this category, up by 715 incidents from last year in Greater Geelong and saw an increase of 111 from 208 cases in Lara in 2023 and by 129 to 638 cases in Corio.
There was a decrease in theft incidents in Barwon Heads by 28 from 57 cases last year and in Belmont from 347 in 2023 to 331 in 2024.
Family incidents across Greater Geelong recorded the highest number of cases in five years, with 5085 incidents this year and a 24 per cent increase from 2020.
CSA chief statistician Fiona Dowsley said family incidents and assaults had reached the highest levels of incidents in Victoria in a decade.
“There has been notable rise in aggravated assaults on females and breaches of intervention orders, often accompanied by criminal damage,” she said.
“There has also been a 14 per cent increase in property and deception offences recorded in the last 12 months, driven by theft, burglary/break and enter and property damage.”
