CRIME has risen by almost 10 per cent in Knox in the past year, with incidents involving aggravated burglary, deception, harassment and weapons and explosives resulting in the biggest increases.
Victoria Police’s annual crime data, released this morning, showed harassment claims in Knox increased 116.4 per cent for the period of July 2011 to June 2012, with 78 more offences recorded than for the same period last year.
Property damage also rose, 29.1 per cent with 1568 offences recorded, compared to 1215 the year before.
Reported incidents of deception were up 43.9 per cent, and there were 66 more weapons and explosives offences recorded in the 2011-12 period.
However rape offences were down 22.2 per cent, with 42 offences recorded compared to 54 in the previous period.
Robbery, handling stolen goods, drug trafficking and manufacturing, and antisocial behaviour in public places offences were also down for the year.
Inspector Terry Kane, who oversees the Knox area, said young people continued to be over-represented in the statistics, both as offenders and victims.
‘‘We have maintained a focus on identifying youth that are ‘at risk’ to ensure that appropriate strategies, measures and support are in place to prevent these people becoming future offenders or victims,’’ he said.
Inspector Kane said the rise in crime against the person concerned police, and they would continue to use the strategies already in place to target street assaults and antisocial behaviour.
He said that while the Knox area had ‘‘gained some excellent reductions in road trauma’’, issues like alcohol, speed, mobile phone use and hoon driving continued to be an issue and highway patrol would continue to target those offenders.