CRIMINAL incidents in the Southern Grampians have risen sharply by 26.6 per cent for the year ending March 2024, with 941 criminal incidents compared to 743 for the same time of year last year (ending March).

Data released by the Crime Statistics Agency showed that specifically in Hamilton, there was an increase of 162 criminal incidents, bringing the total for the 12 months to March 2024 of 764 incidents compared to 602 for the same period last year.

For the location type where criminal incidents occurred, in Hamilton there was an increase of 136 incidents compared to last year for the period when there was 280.

The top five townships for the most criminal incidents in the Shire were Hamilton, followed by Coleraine with 63 incidents, an increase of 23 incidents compared to last year of 40.

Penshurst also had a sharp increase for the number of incidents, with 36 recorded compared to 12 for the same period last year.

Dunkeld and Balmoral were next, with Dunkeld on nine incidents seeing a decline by three incidents, and Balmoral, also on nine, an increase of just one.

Breaches of family violence orders was at the top of the principal offence groups sitting at 115 up from 75 for the same period last year.

This was followed by 105 criminal damage incidents up from 81 last year, then 51 serious assaults up from 31.

Breaching bail conditions was down by 6 to 51 from 66 last year and other theft which declined by three from 47 last year to 44 this year.

The dramatic rise in criminal incidents could be attributable to statistics almost returning to their pre-COVID level.