WARRNAMBOOL police say a strong focus on disrupting drug activity has helped lower the rate of property crime.

The latest crime data shows the number of drug dealing and trafficking offences in Warrnambool increased from 57 in the 2016-17 financial year to 66 in the 2017-18 financial year and the numbers of drug use and possession offences have risen 229 to 311 for the same period.

The Crime Statistics Agency data also showed in Warrnambool in the 2016-17 financial year there were 338 burglaries and in the following 12 months there were 231. During the 2016-17 financial there were 735 thefts and 680 in the next financial year.

Warrnambool police Acting Inspector Steve Thompson said drug offences drove up property crime and for the past 12 months police had a concentrated effort on disrupting drug trafficking and drug use.

“Our divisional tasking teams and criminal investigation units have been very active in enforcing and taking out warrants, charging people and processing people for drugs and it’s also been a focus for our front line members… when intercepting vehicles,” he said.

Acting Inspector Thompson said with weapons offences rising in the Warrnambool it was often a result of a secondary offence detected during a search warrant or person and vehicle checks by police.

“It is not uncommon for persons involved in trafficking or possession of drugs be in possession of prohibited or controlled weapons,” he said.

Across the region crime has dropped from 8244 offences recorded in the 2016-17 financial year compared to 8101 in the past 12 months. There was an increase in assaults from 357 in the 2016-17 financial year in Warrnambool compared to 386 in the past financial year.

Acting Inspector Thompson said in the past two years police had seen an increase in assaults between people known to each other at private residences.

“Anecdotally we think that’s got a lot to with the trend of people drinking at home more and conflict occurring there,” he said.

Acting inspector Thompson said police continued to work with the community to address crime in the region and no piece of information was too small to report.

“It’s the old story, it might be a little piece of information that in isolation might not be significant but it might be that little piece of information that gives us what we need to take some action,” he said. “Across the south-west and Warrnambool in particular we still enjoy one of the lowest crime rates in the state. We think that’s largely due to the support of the community.

UPDATE 11.50am:

According to the latest crime data drug use and possession offences have increased from 229 in the 2016-17 financial year compared to 311 in the following 12 months.

Drug dealing and trafficking offences have risen from 57 in the 2016-17 financial year to 66 in the next financial year.

In the Southern Grampians drug dealing and trafficking jumped from 14 in the 2016-17 financial year to 41 in the following 12 months and drug use and possession increased from 120 to 160 for the same period.​

EARLIER:

CRIME in Warrnambool is on the rise according to the latest State Government data.

The number of offences recorded in Warrnambool has increased from 3464 for the 2016-17 financial year to 3667 in the following 12 months.

According to the Crime Statistics Agency, assaults in Warrnambool have risen from 357 in the 2016-17 financial to 386 in the next financial year.

The number of sexual offences reported to police in Warrnambool has dropped from 110 in the 2016-17 financial year to 103 in the 2017-18 financial year.

In Warrnambool, the number of offences related to stalking, harassment and threatening behaviour has jumped from 83 in the 2016-17 financial year to 144.

Overall in Warrnambool, property and deception offences dropped from 1643 in the 2016-17 financial year to 1529 in the following 12 months.

In that time the number of arson offences increased from 13 to 28 and property damage offences rose from 418 to 449.

More to come.