BERWICK
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Thursday, 22 September, 2022
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Police targeting motorcyclists
Community celebrates festival
Focus on the positives
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SPORT
12496498-DL22-21
Blooming display this weekend
Magpies swoop in Celebrations are continuing for the Narre Warren Magpies and the Cranbourne Eagles following their Grand Final victories in what was a triumphant weekend for grass roots footy in the South East. On Sunday, the Magpies recovered from a three-quarter-time deficit to swoop on premiership glory against Woori Yallock in the Outer East Football Netball League Grand Final Premier Division decider in Gembrook. While on Saturday, led by three goals from retiring veteran Marc Holt, the Eagles prevailed in an arm-wrestle against Cheltenham in wet, dour conditions in Saturday’s Southern Football League’s Division One Grand Final at Moorabbin’s RSEA Park. The victorious Narre Warren Magpies following their Grand Final win on Sunday. 299107
Picture: ROB CAREW
TURN TO SPORT
Casey crime drop By Eleanor Wilson Crime rates in the City of Casey have fallen by more than 8 per cent in the last 12 months, according to fresh data from the Crime Statistics Agency. Released on 15 September, the data shows recorded offences in the municipality are at the lowest rate in almost 10 years, recording 5155 offences per 100,000 residents in a 12-month period. Incidents of family violence are down 8.8 per cent, with 5004 incidents recorded compared to 5487 in the previous year.
It is a welcome decrease for the municipality, which saw an alarming 8.6 per cent increase in family violence in the June 2020 -’21 period. Despite this, family violence remains a large issue for the municipality. Breaching a family violence order was named as the most prevalent offence in Casey, followed by stealing from a motor vehicle, criminal damage, other theft and drug possession. There were 2725 cases of breaching a family violence order recorded in the last 12 months, up 5 per cent on the previous year. Concerningly, sexual offences shot up by
33 per cent and homicides rose from seven in 2020-’21 to 10 in 2021’22. Drug possession was down 16.8 per cent and incidences of theft saw a 5 per cent decrease. Within the municipality, Cranbourne recorded the highest number of offences, followed by Narre Warren, Berwick, Hampton Park and Cranbourne North. Across Victoria the rate of recorded offences decreased 10.6 per cent to 7121.5 per 100,000 Victorians in the last 12 months, as did the number of offences, down 10.0 per cent to 469,506.
CSA chief statistician Fiona Dowsley said the decrease was driven by a reduction in Breach of Chief Health Officer directions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, down 69.3 per cent or 22,345 to 9919 offences. Drug possession across the state was down 17.5 per cent and deception fell 20.7 per cent. “Victoria has seen a notable decrease in overall recorded crime levels during the COVID-19 pandemic period,” Ms Dowsley said. “Decreases in acquisitive crime such as thefts and deception have contributed to the lowest victimisation numbers and rates since 2005.”
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