Community Safety
Through the Safer Communities Portfolio Committee, Council works closely with a range of government and community stakeholders to improve community safety where we can. Crime prevention is the responsibility of Victoria Police and the State Government.
Safer Communities Portfolio Committee members include representatives from the Wyndham community, Victoria Police, the Department of Health and Human Services, Women's Health West, UnitingCare Wyndham, Roadsafe Westgate, Odyssey House, Western Integrated Family Violence Committee, and WEstjustice. Together we focus on the safety of Wyndham residents.
As shown in the table below, Wyndham had the forth highest number of family violence incidents of all Victorian municipalities from September 2020 to September 2021, with an increase of 14.4% from the previous year. In comparison, other Greater Melbourne growth areas such as Casey recorded up to an 3.9% increase during the same period.
Between the years ending June 2017 and June 2021, the number of family violence incidents in Wyndham increased by 43.1% which is almost twice that of Victoria in the same period (22.0%).
The numbers below are the total number of incidents. Wyndham has one of the largest population sizes in Victoria. Measured by the rate per 100,000 people, Wyndham's family incidents rate is lower than Victoria's (1,365 compared with 1,399).
Family incidents, year ending September 2021
| Rank by number of incidents | Area | Number of incidents | Change since previous year | Change over 4 years |
| 1 | Casey | 5,334 | 3.9% | 20.0% |
| 2 | Greater Geelong | 4,210 | 0.7% | 28.4% |
| 3 | Hume | 4,138 | -2.1% | 18.1% |
| 4 | Wyndham | 4,022 | 14.4% | 43.1% |
| 5 | Whittlesea | 3,249 | -1.6% | -0.7% |
| - | North West Metro Region | 29,355 | 1.2% | 15.8% |
| - | Victoria | 93,402 | 3.9% | 19.9% |
Council's latest Annual Community Satisfaction Survey (2020) found that a higher number of respondents feel safe in public areas of Wyndham during the day when compared to at night.2 The results also show that feelings of safety are higher in shopping precincts compared to on trains.
Council embraces every opportunity to partner with the State Government and Victoria Policy to improve safety in public places.
As a result of the upgrades, the 2020 Community Satisfaction Survey found:3
- Two-thirds of respondents felt very safe in the public areas of the City of Wyndham during the day, a result that has been very consistent over time
- The proportion of respondents who felt unsafe in the public areas of the City of Wyndham at night increased from 13.3% in 2019 to 21.9% in 2020
As shown in the graph below, more than one third of incidents in the year ending September 2021 were allegedly committed by offenders aged 10 to 24 years (36%). This is higher than the state average for the same age group over this period (28%).
The proportion of youth offenders in all offences, Wyndham and Victoria, year ending September 20214
Wyndham has a higher youth offenders rate than Victoria does on average. In the year ending September 2021, the rate for Wyndham was higher at 5,012 offenders per 100,000 young people (aged 10-24 years old), while for Victoria it was 4,292.
Youth offenders per 100,000 10-24 year olds, Wyndham and Victoria, year ending September 2021
For the year ending September2021 there were 16,292 offences recorded in Wyndham. This was a decrease of ,2,084 (-11.3%) offences from the previous year.5
As shown in the graph below, the extent to which offences committed in Wyndham does not differ much from Victoria. There are slightly more crimes against the person and property and deception offences, and slightly less drug and public order offences.
Property and deception offences were the most common offence recorded in Wyndham, making up 53.9% of all offences. Property and deception offences include arson, property damage, burglary/break and enter, theft, and deception.
Wyndham City is one of the largest growing municipalities in Victoria with large volumes of new dwellings being built, which are more susceptible to theft and burglary / break and enters when left vacant.
Percentage of recorded offences by offence division, Wyndham Westrern Melbourne and Victoria, September 20216
In 2021, the offence rate in Wyndham is lower than in Victoria in all offence types.
Recorded offence rate per 100,000 people by offence type, Wyndham, 2017 to 2021 (year ending June)
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | Change 2020-21 | 5 year change | |
| Crimes against the person | 933 | 935 | 940 | 1097 | 1069 | -2.6% | 14.6% |
| Property and deception offences | 3548 | 3243 | 3469 | 3535 | 3024 | -14.5% | -14.8% |
| Drug offences | 272 | 275 | 338 | 304 | 289 | -5.0% | 6.2% |
| Public order and security offences | 334 | 318 | 312 | 267 | 287 | 7.4% | -14.1% |
| Justice procedures offences | 750 | 742 | 909 | 842 | 803 | -4.7% | 7.0% |
| Other offences | 16 | 17 | 13 | 441 | 134 | -69.6% | 727.3% |
Gender7
As shown in the graph below, most incidents in Wyndham were allegedly committed by male offenders in the year ending September 2021 (81%). In Victoria, there was a similar proportion (78%) of incidents allegedly committed by male offenders during the same period .
Alleged offender incidents by sex, Wyndham and Victoria, year ending September 2021
Age8
As shown in the graph below, most incidents in Wyndham were allegedly committed by offenders aged 18 to 39 - one in three offences were committed by people in that age group. A similar trend is seen across Victoria with more than 60 per cent of incidents being allegedly committed by offenders aged 18 to 39. The greatest difference in the age of alleged offenders between Wyndham and Victoria is in the 30 to 34 years age group. Wyndham has a higher proportion of incidents allegedly committed by offenders aged between 30 and 34 years than Victoria.
