South-west crime statistics released

Crime statistics for the year to September 2020 released on Thursday showed a 7.7 per cent spike in overall crime across the south-west.

The statistics include all six Local Government Areas (LGA): Warrnambool, Corangamite, Glenelg, Southern Grampians, Colac and Moyne.

Victoria Police western region division two Superintendent Martin Hardy said the "small increase" could largely be attributed to breaches of the Chief Health Officer directions, as well as more police on the beat "detecting and deterring criminal offending".

The Chief Health Officer directions were introduced on March 23 as part of a public health response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Crime Statistics Agency chief statistician Fiona Dowsley said the response "created the criminalisation of new behaviours in Victoria with over 32,000 offences recorded by Victoria Police".

"This has resulted in record numbers of criminal incidents, recorded offences and alleged offenders incidents," she said.

Across the six south-west councils, there were 510 public health and safety offences in the 12-month period, up from just four the year before.

The offences included refusing/failing to comply with direction, as well as failing to wear masks, self isolate or quarantine, leave a restricted area without a valid reason and comply with public gathering rules.

Public health and safety offences were in the top-five offences recorded in all LGAS but Warrnambool.

It comes after The Standard reported in September that two south-west council areas recorded the highest rates of COVID-19-related offences since restrictions were introduced in March.

Corangamite and Colac-Otway councils recorded the state's highest rate of breach offences per 100,000 population.

Colac-Otway had two major coronavirus clusters during the pandemic, with the first outbreak occurring at the Australian Lamb Company and the second at the Bulla ice creamery.

Those who breached the Chief Health Officer's coronavirus directions copped fines of $1650 or more, but Victoria Police chief commission Shane Patton has since revealed that more than 2000 more fines across the state had been cancelled than paid in full.

Thursday's data also revealed that family violence-related offences continued to climb across the south-west, with 2006 criminal incidents recorded in the year to September - up from 1940 the previous year.

Family violence surged in Moyne (up 29.9 per cent), Glenelg (22.9 per cent), Corangamite (21.5) but it dropped in Colac-Otway (down 8.5 per cent), Southern Grampians (5.4) and Warrnambool (4.1).

Breaches of family violence orders were also commonly committed, as well as criminal damage, theft and drug offences - mostly possession.

Superintendent Hardy said addressing and preventing family violence was "always a significant priority for Victoria Police".

"The increase in family violence offending can partly be attributed to the coronavirus restrictions, which saw local family violence investigation unit detectives proactively checking in on high-risk perpetrators and victims as part of Operation Ribbon," he said.

"On top of this, victims are also showing an increasing confidence reporting these matters as they know Victoria Police will act swiftly and decisively to keep you safe."

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