By JESSE GRAHAM
DRUG crimes in the Yarra Ranges have doubled in the last year, according to the latest police statistics, released last month.
Statistics released through the Crime Statistics Agency Victoria on 18 June show a dramatic rise in drug offences being recorded in the Yarra Ranges Police Service Area (PSA).
Between 1 April 2014 and 31 March 2015, 86 drug dealing or trafficking offences were recorded by police in the Yarra Ranges – more than double the 41 offences recorded in the year before.
Charges for cultivating or manufacturing drugs rose from 25 offences to 64, while drug use and possession charges rose from 310 to 347 charges between the two time periods.
Family violence offences were also on the rise in the last year, with 1378 individual incidents in the Yarra Ranges alone between April and March, 88 more than the previous year.
Recorded incidences of family violence have been rising continuously over the years – in the 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011 time period, only 825 offences were recorded.
Year by year, almost 100 additional incidences have been recorded, including a jump from 947 to 1112 between 2011-’12 and 2012-’13.
Police have often cited the increase in offences as better reporting from victims to police, due to increased confidence.
The Mail attempted to contact Yarra Ranges Acting Inspector, Paul van Gemert, about the statistics, but received no response.
Sexual offences, homicide and assault charges all fell compared to last year’s statistics, but crimes such as abduction, stalking, harassment and threatening behaviour and beaches of orders were all on the rise.
Weapons and explosives offences also had a slight increase in the last year, with 227 charges laid, compared to 210 in the previous year.
Robbery, blackmail, arson, burglary and deception charges fell, with 18 fewer counts of arson and 166 fewer counts of burglary in this year’s statistics.
A number of drug raids have taken place in the Yarra Ranges in recent months, including four previously-reported search warrants executed in Healesville.
However, as these raids occurred outside of the statistics timeframe, they are not recorded in the results.
