Victoria's crime rate surges 15 per cent in past year, as youth offending hits highest rate since electronic records began

Sky News AU

19-06-2025

Crime in Victoria is now at record highs with youth offending increasing by the largest rate since electronic records began.
The latest crime statistics, released on Thursday, show there were 627,268 criminal offences committed in Victoria in the year ending March 2025, an increase of 17.1 per cent.
When population growth is taken into account, this amounts to a 15.2 per cent increase in crime in one year, with 8,838.7 offences being committed for every 100,000 people.
The increase comes despite Victoria Police performing an average of 208 arrests per day – 23 per cent more than a decade ago.
"There is no doubt overall crime is higher than both the community and police would like," Acting Deputy Commissioner of Regional Operations David Clayton said.
'That's why every police officer is working tirelessly to reduce crime and hold criminals accountable – as they did in these twelve months with a record 75,968 arrests.'
Police said the number of arrests was now the highest since electronic records began in 1993, and most likely, in Victoria Police's 172-year history.
This staggering increase in crime is being driven in part by record-high youth offending, which has increased by almost 18 per cent in the past year and 42 per cent since March 2015.
According to Victoria Police, offences committed by individuals aged between 10 and 17 are now at their highest levels since electronic records began.
"Children only account for 13.1 per cent of all offenders processed, however they are overrepresented in serious and violent crimes such as robberies (63.1 per cent), aggravated burglaries (46 per cent), and car theft (26.9 per cent)," police said in a statement.
"Victoria Police has made 3,300 arrests of Victoria's worst youth offenders over the past year as part of Operation Trinity (home burglaries and car thefts) and Operation Alliance (youth gangs)."
While acknowledging the crime rates were 'unacceptable', Victorian Police Minister Anthony Carbines was quick to point out that the latest statistics did not capture the impact of the Allan government's changes to bail laws – which took effect on March 28.
'Our unique offender rate remains stable. What that's telling us is that it's many of the same people committing additional offences that are driving our crime rate. That is why the government has introduced the toughest bail laws in the country,' Mr Carbines said.
'The government has acted, (and there has been) more offenders remanded than ever before since these changes took effect.
'We've seen a 100 per cent increase in young offenders remanded. We've seen a 31 per cent increase in adult offenders remanded.
'We will start to see those people unable to commit further offending. So I think we'll start to see that change picked up in future quarters.'
The Police Minister said the government would also be introducing additional bail laws after parliament's winter break, as well as so-called post and boast laws.
"We also have the second tranche of our bail reforms coming after the parliamentary winter ... which will be about high harm crimes, aggravated burglary, carjackings, home invasions," he said.
"Where people commit those offences and repeat those offences, it'll be extremely difficult to get bail, extremely difficult.
"We will also be bringing tougher measures, as you have seen, the crime statistics around retail crime, we cannot accept the growth in retail crime, that it's okay to continually, repeatedly steal from businesses."
The fastest growing crimes included: Theft from motor vehicle - 82,414 offences, an increase of 39.3 per cent since last year.
Theft from a retail store - 41,270 offences, an increase of 38.6 per cent since last year.
Motor vehicle theft - 31,551 offences, an increase of 47.1 per cent since last year.
Aggravated residential burglary - 7,878 offences, an increase of 30.5 per cent since last year.
Total Serious Assaults - 17,732 offences, an increase of 14 per cent since last year.
Theft (other) offences - 58,137 offences, an increase of 20.5 per cent since last year.
Family violence order breaches - 63,809 offences, an increase of 18.3 since last year.
Opposition leader Brad Battin said the statistics showed Labor had failed Victorians.
'This is evidence that what Labor is doing is not working – community safety is clearly not their priority and Victorians are suffering,' Mr Battin said.
'We're now in a position where people do not feel safe in the one place they should – their home.
'Labor has lost control of crime in this state; only a Liberals and Nationals government will ensure that if you break bail, you will face jail and that offenders face consequences for their actions.'