There were 552,228 criminal offences recorded in Victoria in the twelve months to June 2024 – an increase of 46,014 offences or 9.1%.
The crime rate when population growth is considered is 7,925 offences per 100,000 people – a 6.7% increase from the year before.
While overall criminal offences peaked to their highest levels in the past decade, when population growth is considered, the crime rate is ranked as the fifth highest over the past decade.
20,399 unique people were arrested for a combined total of 68,579 times. These individuals were charged with a total of 189,666 offences.
The top five offences to record the greatest year-on-year increase were:
• Theft from motor vehicle (61,959 offences, +9,103). This offence recorded the greatest increase and remains the most common criminal offence. However, there were still 468 less crimes of this nature than in the twelve months to June 2020. The most stolen items were numberplates, power tools, and cash. Opportunistic thieves continue to prey upon unlocked vehicles, with recent police intelligence from areas such as Port Phillip and Dandenong showing around 60% of all cars broken into in recent months were unlocked.
• Theft from a retail store (32,540 offences, + 7,936). Shop steal has reached record highs as inflation, cost of living pressures, and high interest rates continue to impact the community. Police intelligence indicates threats of violence against retail staff has also increased as a result. Alcohol continues to be the most frequently stolen item, followed by groceries, clothing and toiletries. The volume of alcohol and groceries stolen has reached the highest levels on record. Police have several local operations targeting shop thieves across metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria. The largest of these operations has been taking place in Melbourne’s CBD and surrounds since July this year, leading to 36 arrests, almost 500 charges laid and around $100,000 of stolen goods recovered in a little over two months.
• Theft (other) offences (50,866 offences, +6,622). The most common items stolen during theft (other) offences are petrol, and mobile phones.
• Motor vehicle theft (23,248 offences, +4,568) and criminal damage offences (39,671 offences, + 3,549) round out the top five offences to increase year-on-year.
Police intelligence reveals repeat criminal offenders were responsible for almost two thirds of Victoria’s crime (68.0%). Victoria’s most dangerous repeat offenders are firmly in the sights of Victoria Police, with new Crime Reduction Teams regularly knocking on their doors to encourage behaviour change and put them on notice. These interactions include bail compliance checks, referrals to support services and diversion programs, patrols of locations where the person frequents and has offended previously, conducting Firearm Prohibition Order Checks, and extending necessary support and referrals to the individuals family.
Key crime trends
• Overall crimes against the person increased by 5.8% year-on-year (89,086, up from 84,218). When population growth is considered, crimes against the person increased by 3.5%. Around 55% of all crimes against the person were assaults, with over 60% common assaults – lower-level assaults leading to no serious injury. Around half of all assaults were family violence related.
• Victoria Police responded to a record number of family violence incidents – with 98,816 family violence incidents in the twelve months to June 2024. This was a 6.1% year-on-year increase. There was also a 3.2% increase in family violence order breaches (55,640, up from 53,892).
• Overall property and deception offences increased by 14.4% (311,963, up from 272,701), reaching their highest levels since 2017.
• Overall drug related offending increased by 4.2% (31,505, up from 30,240). This increase was driven predominantly by increases in cultivate/manufacture drugs (+14.1%) and drug use/possession (+3%).
Child and Youth Crime
• Overall child (10 – 17) and youth (18 – 24) offenders were responsible for 49,135 combined incidents – an increase of 12.4% year-on-year.
• Crimes committed by children aged 10 – 17 rose to their highest levels since 2010 (23,236 incidents, +20.1% year-on-year).
• Those aged 14 – 17 are responsible for most child crime in Victoria (20,054 incidents, +23% year-on-year), however there was also an increase in offending among our youngest offenders (3,181 incidents involving 10 – 13-year-olds, +4.4% year-on-year).
• Children continue to be more frequently involved in robberies (2,024, +45.8%), car thefts (2,008, +31.4%), burglaries (2,801 +28.9%), overall crimes against the person (7,691, +14.3%), and assaults (4,557, +5%).
• In the twelve months to June 2024, Victoria Police processed 7,380 child offenders a combined 23,236 times (+20.1% from 19,345).
• Victoria’s worst child and youth offenders are the focus of two major police operations – Operation Alliance (youth gangs) and Operation Trinity (home burglaries and car thefts).
• Over the past year, Operation Trinity and Operation Alliance have led to over 3,150 arrests – equating to almost nine youth gang members, child burglars and underage car thieves arrested each day.
• At the start of July, Victoria Police also created new Crime Reduction Teams across Melbourne and Geelong.
• These teams are responsible for proactively case managing high-risk offenders with an extensive history of committing crimes, such as burglaries, robberies, assaults, and car thefts. These teams monitor people of all ages; however, many are children.
• Crime Reduction Team officers have two main objectives when engaging with offenders – preventing further offending and providing support pathways that encourage rehabilitation.
• In the first two months, Crime Reduction Teams carried out around 1,275 engagements with high-risk people and made almost 300 referrals to support services.
Burglaries and Car Theft
• Overall, there were 26,817 home burglaries across Victoria – 2,152 more than the year before. Of these, 3,596 offences were attempts (13.4% of all home burglaries are failed attempts).
• Despite this, the total number of Victorian homes being broken into remains well below levels from earlier in the past decade. For example, there were 35,492 homes broken into in 2017 – 8,675 more than current levels.
• However, aggravated residential burglaries reached historic highs, increasing 18% year-on-year (6,445, up from 5,461).
• This continues to be driven by opportunistic young burglars targeting predominantly unlocked homes.
• This trend is represented in today’s data release, with children aged 10 – 17 committing 1,260 residential aggravated burglaries (+29.8%).
• Victoria Police continues to arrest these offenders in significant numbers as part of Operation Trinity, with 673 people arrested almost 1,550 times for breaking into homes and stealing cars over the past year.
• Police intelligence indicates the number of aggravated burglaries where cars are stolen has decreased by around a third since Operation Trinity commenced, however this offending is still higher than police would like.
• With up to 80% of aggravated home burglaries in key hotspots either because of unlocked doors/windows or unsuccessful attempts when the offender discovers the house is secured, police urge the community to take simple measures such as locking all doors and windows.
• Around a fifth of all aggravated burglaries were confrontational, however 65% of confrontational aggravated burglaries were family violence related, parties known, or intra-criminal disputes. Given this, the chances of being confronted by a stranger in your home are small.
Quotes attributed to Acting Deputy Commissioner Regional Operations Chris Gilbert
“While today is officially a data release, the reality is behind every statistic is a victim of crime. These people and their experiences are the reason our members doggedly pursue those who endanger the community.
“This determination to hold criminals accountable has never been more evident, with Victoria Police making 68,579 arrests and laying 189,666 charges over the past year.
“Victoria’s four fastest growing crimes are all related to opportunistic offending – theft from motor vehicle, retail theft, motor vehicle theft, and the theft of other items such as petrol.
“Around a quarter of all crime can be directly attributed to the scourge of family violence, with Victoria Police called out to a family violence incident every five minutes.
“We understand many in the community are anxious about the increasing prevalence of intruders entering homes.
“Your home should be your castle, and this is why 70 additional frontline police, Dog Squad members, Highway Patrol officers, and the Public Order Response Team continue to swarm Melbourne’s suburbs every single night – specifically targeting burglars and car thieves as the Air Wing watches from above.
“Operation Trinity has made 1,550 arrests over the last year – an average of more than four burglars and thieves arrested across metropolitan Melbourne every day.
“Police continue to see far too many properties burgled and cars stolen due to unlocked doors and windows, so we urge the community to take simple measures such as checking your home and car is locked before heading to bed.”
