Crime wave hits Docklands

Crime wave hits Docklands

A crime wave has hit Docklands, with crime numbers soaring 62 per cent in a year between 2015 and 2016.

It is a much bigger surge compared with a 10 per cent overall increase in Victoria and 7 per cent in the CBD. The number is also Docklands’ highest in the past five years.

There were 1379 offences recorded in Docklands in 2015 and 2235 in 2016.

Among the crimes committed in the area, theft made up 37 per cent and deception 20 per cent. The number of deception offences soared from 117 in 2015 to 447 last year, one of the most significant increases among all offences in Docklands.

Crime Statistics Agency’s chief statistician, Fiona Dowsley, said that while property and deception offences overall had increased in the last 12 months, most of this increase was due to increases in theft offences.

“Our analysis shows that more than one third of all recorded offences in Victoria are theft related,” Ms Dowsley said.

John Kakos, vice president of the Docklands Community Association and chairman of three owner’s corporations in NewQuay, said he thought most of the crimes in Docklands were concentrated in specific areas, particularly among low-income housing units in Docklands Drive.

He also said crime rates could be easily reduced through educating residents on safety precautions.

“The crimes in Docklands are mainly theft and deception offences, which could be reduced if the residents stay more vigilant of suspicious activities and ensure their properties and valuables are secured,” Mr Kakos said.

“We are taking steps to inform residents about how they can protect themselves and assist the police to reduce similar crimes,” he said.

Mr Kakos said Docklands’ overall crime rate was relatively low compared with other areas around the CBD and the crimes were generally non-violent.

“Docklands remains a safe area and we can easily address certain issues through more awareness and more police patrols,” he said.

Despite the dramatic surge, the overall crime numbers in Docklands in 2016 only constituted about 6 per cent of the total crimes within the Melbourne municipality.

The CBD concentrated the most crimes in metropolitan Melbourne, with 23,713 offences recorded in 2016 – more than 10 times the number in Docklands.

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