Local media are reporting “overall crime in Brimbank has plummeted”, citing “recent police crackdowns and greater reporting are believed to be behind a significant drop in crime in Brimbank over a 12 month period.” [the star 8/6/10]. But new documents released by the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority (ESTA) reveal there were 1469.2 assaults per 100,000 people in Brimbank reported to 000 in 2009 whereas the Brimbank official Victoria Police assault rate was only 582.

Standard models used in other states for statistical reporting of crime use the prima facie model, assaults are recorded as an offence if a call is made to 000 until and unless there is evidence that no crime occurred at the time the offence was reported. Brimbank crime statistics are lie because calls to 000 are not recorded as a crime unless or until the police confirm they attended a crime scene or attend a crime in action. What these stats show, is what we all know, that if you call 000 most often the police attend the crime after the event and after the perpetrator/s have left the scene. These crimes are not recorded in the official crime stats, not acknowledged and treated as if nothing ever happened.