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Tuesday, 18 February, 2014
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Drug crimes halved By CHARLENE MACAULAY
tegic and very proactive in addressing that issue,” councillor Sarah Carter said. “Let’s not forget about the holistic approach that we’ve taken on this, and we are seeing it actively reflected in these crime statistics,” Cr Carter said. A council report attributes a multi-pronged approach - including police operations, the Footscray CBD foot patrol, the CCTV system in Footscray and the displacement effect of significant infrastructure works around Footscray - has helped eradicate drug hot spots such as the train station, Nicholson St mall and Railway Reserve. Mayor Grant Miles thanked police for tackling the drug issues across the municipality. “The police deserve credit for their ongoing operations to disrupt drug-related issues,” Cr Miles said. “Suburbs such as Footscray have had a reputation in the past - but residents in Footscray have long known that perceptions of Footscray don’t always match reality and these latest statistics prove it. “The drop is good news for people living in Footscray and surrounding suburbs. “Our CCTV cameras installed in Footscray mall are making it easier for the police to deal with troublemakers.”
Yarraville parties on
IT STARTED with a fashion parade and ended with a day-long extravaganza. This year’s Yarraville Festival shied away from the traditional one-day event in favour of a week of activities, kicking off on Wednesday night with the I Heart Yarraville Fashion Parade which featured the latest collections from local retailers Niche, Village Idiom, Marita’s of Yarraville, Mico, Angelina and One White. Other events included a comedy night and buskers festival, before a big Sunday that featured the Teddy Bear’s picnic, dog fashion parade, Flik Fest competition, market stalls and seven stages of Picture: DAMJAN JANEVSKI entertainment. 1401936
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CRIME across the City of Maribyrnong has dropped by nearly 14 per cent in the past year – but is still significantly higher than the state and regional average. Victoria Police statistics for the 2012-13 financial year show the overall crime rate has dropped by 13.6 per cent over 12 months, with 10,229 crimes per 100,000 population. The figures show a 45.7 per cent fall in drug-related crime, a 21.2 per cent decrease in arson, a 20.7 per cent drop in car thefts, a 19.5 per cent decrease in rape and a 14 per cent fall in theft from motor vehicles. Despite the drop, the municipality’s crime rate is still 30 per cent higher than the state average, and 12.6 per cent higher than that of the North West Metropolitan region. Family incidents and family violence remain a significant safety issue for women and children, with an increase in such crimes reported. Over 2012-13, there was a 24 per cent increase in family incident reports, and a 50 per cent increase in the rate of charges being laid. “Perception of safety in our community satisfaction survey has always rated very highly (as a concern), and this council was very stra-
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