Crime rates on the rise in Benalla

By Alexander Dabb

Sep 26, 2024

Benalla has experienced an eight per cent increase in total criminal incidents over the past year, according to the latest data for the Criminal Statistics Agency. Photo: Criminal Statistics Agency.

Crime rates have increased by eight per cent in Benalla over the past 12 months, according to the latest Crime Statistics Agency data released on Thursday, September 26.

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The data, which records criminal offences in the year to June 30, shows that a total of 1091 criminal incidents occurred in Benalla over that time period, up from 1010 the year before and the most recorded over the past decade.

The biggest increase came in drug offences, with 78 incidents of drug use or possession recorded, up from 40 in the previous year, while 11 incidents of drug dealing or trafficking were also recorded compared to six incidents in 2023.

There was also an overall increase in property and deception offences, which jumped to 469 incidents as opposed to last year’s 447.

Theft was the main offence to blame for the jump, with 231 incidents recorded, up from 177 the year previous, while property damage saw a slight increase, with 101 incidents occurring compared to 88 in 2023.

Public order and security offences remained steady at 64, the same as in 2023, although there was a jump in weapons and explosives offences, up to 41 incidents from 32 in 2023.

The most common offences recorded were those with the principal offence subtype of breaching family violence orders, of which there were 115 incidents, although this was down on the 2023 number of 132 incidents.

Some 42.9 per cent of all offences recorded resulted in charges laid, while 20.7 per cent had no charge recorded, and the remaining 36.4 per cent of incidents remained unsolved.