Robbery fall brings relief

By Tania Martin
RESIDENTS of the Yarra Ranges can feel a bit safer on the streets following a good crime report card last week.
The Yarra Ranges region has recorded an 8.9 per cent drop in robberies, an overall drop in crime of 9.2 per cent, and an 11.1 per cent reduction in residential burglaries.
Yarra Ranges District Inspector Andrew Humberstone said the reduction in crime had been a combined effort between the local community and police.
Insp Humberstone said he anticipated even further reductions over the next few months.
“It’s vital for people to report any suspicious behaviour to police to help reduce the instances of robberies,” he said.
Region 4 Superintendent Andrew Crisp said the top priority for police at the moment was tackling street crimes such as robberies.
Supt Crisp said a lot of the crimes were opportunistic involving young people both as victims and offenders.
He said people are having cash, mobile phones and MP3 players stolen.
But Supt Crisp said what was more alarming was the fact that young people had little or no understanding of the seriousness of the crime.
“We are actively addressing this issue by targeting trouble spots but we urge young people to also take some additional responsibility for their personal safety and work with us to curb this trend,” he said.
Robbery is a very serious offence and can carry a maximum of 15 years imprisonment.
Despite the hefty sentences police are employing a no tolerance for robberies and warning people if they get caught they will face serious charges.
Police have vowed to continue to work on reducing robbery rates by interacting more with the community and trying to educate young people on the risks associated with such an offence.
Supt Crisp said it wasn’t just about the police but the community who had a big impact on these figures.
“We would like to thank the locals for their continued partnership because without their input and support we couldn’t achieve this,” he said.