Alarming rise of family violence in Baw Baw

Crime has decreased 7.3 per cent in recent months but local police are warning that previous levels of criminal activity will return as communities return to normal activities.

Crime statistics released last week for the Baw Baw police services area reflected a state-wide trend in decreased criminal activity, particularly opportunistic property crime.

But, on the flipside, with more families at home, family violence offences increased 22 per cent.

The latest Crime Statistics Agency figures for the 12-month period to the end of September showed significant increases in breach of family violence orders and assaults.

The location of the majority of Baw Baw’s crime reflected increased family incidents with the home identified as the principal place for crimes - 30 per cent higher than the previous year.

The number of criminal offences overall was down 7.3 per cent in Baw Baw from 4912 last year to 4552 this year.

The decrease was in line with state trends of a 10 per cent decline in offences during the ongoing COVID lockdowns and restricted movement.

Baw Baw PSA inspector Alison Crombie said pressures relating to COVID lockdowns had been a key contributor to a 22.7 per cent increase in family violence incidents in the 12-month period ending in September.

But the figures were alarmingly above the state average which showed a 4.3 per cent increase.

Baw Baw’s increase was driven largely by a 40 per cent increase in breaches of family orders.

Insp Crombie said the figures were concerning and were a direct result of the challenging times many families had experienced. 

“COVID has had a significant impact on the statistics.  Family violence was significantly up where we have had people living in close proximity for long periods, home schooling and living with each other 24 hours a day,” she said.

Added to that, she said, was financial stress for many families with many parents not working.

As lockdown restrictions ease, Insp Crombie said police would focus efforts on previous levels of criminal activity.

She said once people began interacting again, police expected there would be an increase in anti-social behaviour, particularly at licensed venues.

“The trends are already starting to turn with more youth at licensed venues and people socialising,” she said.

The latest statistics indicated a 43 per cent increase in crimes against the person, which Insp Crombie said again reflected incidents of violence in the home.

This was further supported by a 28 per cent increase in assaults up from 368 offences last year to 471 this year.

Insp Crombie said analysis of the increased assaults indicated the offences largely involved people known to each other or neighbourhood disputes.

She said another concerning aspect of the latest statistics was a 79 per cent increase in sexual offences and a 55 per cent increase in stalking offences.

Sexual offences increased from 133 incidents the previous year to 328 this year.

But, with people locked down, Insp Crombie said less movement of people meant property offences decreased 24 per cent including a 31 per cent drop in burglaries and 31 per cent decrease in thefts from 1161 offences to 798.

Criminal damage was slightly up from 316 to 347, representing a 9.8 per cent increase while deception offences dropped from 206 to 145.

By location across the shire, criminal offences recorded in Warragul were slightly up by three per cent with 1810 offences making it the highest town for criminal activity across the shire.

Crime in Drouin and Trafalgar decreased 14 per cent and 15 per cent respectively, with 1157 offences in Drouin and 305 in Trafalgar.

Across the Gippsland region, Baw Baw sits in the medium range for the number of offences recorded per 100,000 of population with 8097 offences.

Other Gippsland municipalities’ crime rate per 100,000 population were: South Gippsland 5649, Cardinia 5664, Bass Coast 7953, Wellington, 10,216, East Gippsland 10,554 and Latrobe 15,881.