Article: Crime rates on Victoria's public transport has fallen

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Crime rates on Victoria's public transport has fallen

Crime rates on Victoria's public transport has fallen
Article from: Sunday Herald Sun

Peter Rolfe

August 30, 2009 12:00am

CRIME on board Victoria's trains, trams and buses has fallen by 10.5 per cent in the past year new figures reveal.

The Brumby Government, Victoria Police and Connex will today announce a 14 per cent reduction in assaults and significant decreases in property damage, thefts and arson between 2007-08 and last financial year.

The statistics, obtained exclusively by the Sunday Herald Sun, show assaults are down from 1336 to 1150.

But several serious crimes on our public transport system are on the rise, including rapes, abductions and kidnappings.

Total assaults fell from 9653 to 9412 or 20.29 offences per million trips.

Rapes rose by 37.7 per cent, from 10 to 15 reported cases.

Drug offences rose by 11.6 per cent from 315 to 352, including 36 more cases of drug possession than in the previous year.

And public behaviour offences, such as swearing, spitting and loutish behaviour, were up more than 15 per cent from 186 to 212.

Police Minister Bob Cameron last night said for every million trips on our public transport system, there were less than three assaults, three cases of property damage and less than one robbery.

He said crime on public transport had fallen by 43 per cent since 2000-01.

"Victoria has a public transport system that is safer than ever before," he said.

The figures show:

ARSON offences were down 41.9 per cent from 31 to 20.

PROPERTY damage fell 6.5 per cent from 1512 to 1419.

WEAPONS and explosives offences fell 8.8 per cent from 336 to 305.

NON-RAPE sexual assaults fell by 2.2 per cent from 217 to 212.

ROBBERY fell 5.2 per cent from 367 to 347.