Claims that Altona is one of Australia’s worst suburbs for crime have been rubbished by Victoria Police and the Crime Statistics Agency.
In an online article, national media outlet Scoopla placed Altona in Victoria’s top five “worst” suburbs, reporting that it was a nightmare for residents who deal with crime and social problems.
The publisher told Star Weekly the article was based on crime statistics from www.myboot.com. But the link for Victorian crime figures was unavailable on that website and the publisher did not respond to our request to provide the data or comment.
According to the Crime Statistics Agency (CSA), in the 12 months to March, 2015, the five Victorian areas with the highest number of offences recorded by Victoria Police were Melbourne postcode 3000 (22,466), Dandenong (9173), Frankston (8459), Ballarat (6661) and Werribee (6289).
CSA chief statistician Fiona Dowsley said Victoria Police data showed 854 offences were recorded in the Altona postcode 3018 in the 12 months to March, 2015 – down 7.7 per cent compared to the same period in the previous year.
“In the year to March, 2015, offences recorded in the 3018 postcode made up 0.2 per cent of all recorded offences across the state,” she said.
Hobsons Bay police inspector Michelle Young reassured Altona residents their suburb was safe – and one of her favourite spots to relax with her family.
“As the Local Area Commander of Hobsons Bay, which includes Altona, I believe the suburb is a hidden gem in the western suburbs,” she said. “And with development around both retail and residential areas, it’s a locale which I’m sure will continue to grow in attraction.
“Altona is a vibrant and diverse suburb and for me, personally, it’s a place where I spend a lot of time in summer with my family to take advantage of the sublime beach location.
“The community is a friendly one and I’m confident that anyone living in Altona would not agree with anyone claiming it is a lesser place to live.”
