AN almost 1000 per cent increase in the detection of ice crime by Warrnambool region police during the past two years is highlighted by new crime statistics.
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The figures from the Crime Statistics Agency have been released by the state opposition, with member for South West Coast Roma Britnell congratulating local police on their concentrated efforts.
Sergeant Cameron Ross, who is in charge of the Warrnambool divisional response unit which targets drug crime in the Warrnambool, Moyne and Corangamite council areas, said ice was now the drug of choice for many users and had become prevalent.
In 2014 there were seven people caught in the region for ice offences, which jumped to 36 the following year and almost doubled again last year to 69 - a 12-month increase of 514 per cent and a two-year jump of 985 per cent.
In the west of the state, Southern Grampians/Glenelg divisional response unit has had similar success.
In 2014 there were 15 ice-specific crimes, which jumped to 20 the following year and to 25 in 2016.
Sergeant Ross said specific units targeting drug crimes were working, increasing the ability of police to identify, arrest and process offenders through the criminal justice system.
"We rely heavily on members of the public to provide information to us," he said.
"We are proactively targeting drug users and those involved in traffic drugs. It's a priority for Warrnambool police."
Sergeant Ross said cars meeting in unusual places and vehicles coming and going from an address were the sort of information police wanted.
"If you're living in a quiet street and all of a sudden there's a lot of cars coming and going from an address, we want to know," he said.
"That sort of information can greatly assist us in our ability to detect crime, arrest offenders and bring them before the courts."
The unit chief said ice was a huge issue in Warrnambool and across Australia.
"It's a priority we are focused on and dealing with," Sergeant Ross said.
"Every bit of information is important. This issue requires a whole community approach. We are processing a lot more offenders in the past 12 months and that 200 per cent increase in total drugs offences is an indication of the efforts being put in.
"We're happy we are making inroads but disrupting the drug trade is a constant battle," he said.
Mrs Britnell said Warrnambool police were doing an extraordinary job for the community in often frustrating and difficult circumstances.
"We can't ignore the fact the problem doesn't end with a crime – it's a health issues and we can’t just put people behind bars," she said.
"There's no doubt we need to invest in health (and) in rehabilitation for drug users. It's going to (need) a big investment across the country."
Mrs Britnell said she had discussed the issue with leading expert Dr Rodger Brough and arranged a meeting with the health minister Jill Hennessy to see what could be done in the south-west.
She said the south-west at least needed a facility to allow people to come off drugs before rehabilitation could begin.
"Such a facility would cost us a lot less as a society than drug crime," she said.
According to figures from the Crime Statistics Agency, methamphetamine-related crime jumped 53.85 per cent across Victoria between 2015 and 2016.
Opposition mental health spokesperson Emma Kealy said the Warrnambool community was clearly experiencing skyrocketing drug rates but the Andrews Labor Government had failed to deliver one public rehabilitation bed.
