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Monday, June 20, 2022
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Sport
EDDIE WAS SIMPLY THE BETTS AROUND 1500 people descended on the Whorouly Recreation Reserve on Saturday to watch Eddie Betts (left) play for the Lions against Goorambat, and they were not disappointed with the show. The former AFL great slotted the first goal of the match and provided plenty of entertainment with high-flying mark attempts and intense tackle pressure. The Lions were unable to get the win over the Bats, downed by 16 points, but Betts was the crowd favourite, happy to chat with fans and take photos. In other O&K matches, Greta snuck the points out at Tarrawingee by 14 points, while Benalla and King Valley had big wins over North Wangaratta and Moyhu. In the O&M, it was a weekend of drama, with Wangaratta handed their first loss of the season in convincing fashion, defeated by Yarrawonga by 28 points, while the Rovers kept their finals hopes alive with a clutch one point win over Albury Tigers at WJ Findlay Oval. More reports in SPORT. PHOTO: Nathan de Vries
CRIME DECLINE Criminal offence rate falls in last 12 months but is still well above Victorian average g
WANGARATTA’S criminal offence rate remained well above the state average for the second consecutive year, despite a major downturn in overall offences throughout the region in data recorded to March this year. According to Crime Statistics Victoria (CSV), the rural city’s total criminal offences fell by almost 25 per cent in the 12 months to March this
BY RYAN MALCOLM rmalcolm@ nemedia.com.au
year, with the region’s 2369 offences well below the 3133 recorded in 2020/21. The drop in total offences locally saw the region’s offence rate per 100,000 people largely return
to pre-pandemic levels, however, Wangaratta’s incidence rate (8006.2) remained well above the state average (7048.2) following a similar crime decline Victoria-wide. Wangaratta saw major decreases in breaches of chief health officer directions in the back half of last year which dictated much of the fall in total offences.
A significant decrease in instances of obtain property by deception (down 86.3 per cent) was also recorded, however, the 108 offences through to March this year still represented a 350 per cent increase on pre-pandemic levels. Local Area Commander Inspector Pauline Williams said police had ramped up efforts to monitor known
offenders in recent times. “It’s really positive to see a significant decrease in overall crime in Wangaratta, which can largely be attributed to the proactive work police have been doing in the community to deter crime before it occurs, including regular patrols of known crime hotspots and the monitoring of recidivist offenders,” she said.
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“When looking at the number of obtain benefit by deception offences, we have to remember that the community is still coming out of the pandemic and many people are still using the internet more frequently than usual, putting them at greater risk of falling victim to online scams and deceptions.” ■ Continued page 3