Crime reduction pleasing

But police still have concerns with domestic violence and vehicle theft as the new year moves into its second month.

In 2012-13, officers were called to almost 3000 fewer offences than they were were in 2011-12.

This equalled a 4.6 per cent drop in crime ” the biggest in Perth.

Most pleasing for local stations was a 12.4 per cent fall in burglaries ” about 500 less than 2011-12 ” which had been a priority for officers over the past two years.

Despite the good overall results, domestic violence continues to blight the district.

District Superintendent Charlie Carver said police were working with state and federal government services as well as non-government agencies to combat domestic assaults.

There had been a particular focus on children.

‘Children learn from what they see and how things are done at home, they are our future and we’re looking to try and take those children away from the harm,’ he said.

‘We’re doing a lot of work behind the scenes with Corrective Services, the Department of Child Protection, some of the refuge centres and human services at the commonwealth level.’

When the Times last reported on crime figures in December, violence in the home had increased by 19 per cent on 2011.

Its incidence had improved by the end of the financial year, but remained up by six per cent on 2011-12.

Vehicle theft reports had also improved since December, having been up by 19 per cent, but reducing to 10 per cent by the end of the financial year.

Supt Carver said there was still a lot of work to do.

‘I would like to be able to work closer with the community to gain more intelligence and more information on the offending across the district,’ he said.

‘If we don’t know about what’s happening in your community it’s very hard for us to put resources where they need to be.’