THE number of criminal offences recorded in Mildura has increased by 3.7 per cent on last year, with coronavirus-related breaches and theft from cars contributing to the rise locally and across Victoria.
In the latest Crime Statistics Agency (CSA) report, which covers the 12 months to June, two new categories were included to capture offending related to breaches of the Chief Health Officer's directions imposed to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
COVID-19 breaches were included in public health and safety offending, which in Mildura recorded 77 offences, compared to just one at the same time last year.