Nationals Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland says her office is dealing with regular community concerns over crime across the region, with the most recent data from the Crime Statistics Agency demonstrating a clear spike in criminal behaviour locally.
Crime Statistics Agency (CSA) data for the year ending 31 December 2023 has revealed alarming increases in criminal incidents in all of the Benalla, Mitchell, and Strathbogie local government areas.
Within Benalla, criminal incidents have risen by 11.2 per cent while unsolved cases are up to nearly 39 per cent as opposed to 31 per cent last year.
In the Mitchell Shire, there has been an 11.6 per cent rise in criminal incidents, with 39.2 per cent of cases being unsolved – up from 30 per cent last year.
In the Strathbogie Shire, criminal incidents are up 9.6 per cent with a staggering 56.6 per cent of cases remaining unsolved – up from 41.3 per cent.
Ms Cleeland said the rise in unsolved cases was a consequence of Labor’s failure to keep its promises over police numbers.
“Labor’s continual under-resourcing of Victoria Police has seen criminal incidents in our region rise to outrageous levels and, alarmingly, le most of them unsolved,” Ms Cleeland said.
“Police numbers are going backwards – that is an objective fact.
“This lack of support threatens to leave rural communities without a policing presence and sends a signal that the safety and protection of our rural communities doesn’t matter.
“Police are doing the best they can, but they are just not being given the tools they need.
“Victims of crime in our regional communities have again been badly let down by the Allan Labor Government.”
Family violence breaches continue to be the leading criminal incident in Benalla and the Mitchell Shire, while theft is the number one offence in the Strathbogie Shire.
