Victoria Police has released the crime statistics for the year ending June 2024.
There were 552,228 criminal offences recorded in Victoria in the 12 months – an increase of 46,014 offences or 9.1 per cent.
While overall criminal offences hit their highest levels in the past decade, when population growth is considered, the crime rate was the fifth highest over the past decade.
Some 20,399 unique people were arrested 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, with the most stolen items being number plates, power tools and cash.
- Theft from a retail store. Alcohol continues to be the most frequently stolen item, followed by groceries, clothing and toiletries.
- Theft, with the most common items stolen being petrol and mobile phones.
- Motor vehicle theft.
- Criminal damage offences.
Police intelligence revealed repeat criminal offenders were responsible for more than two thirds of Victoria’s crime, or 68 per cent.
According to crimestatistics.vic.gov.au there was a 4.9 per cent decrease in criminal offences recorded across Greater Shepparton; however, the total number of criminal incidents in the region increased by 7.9 per cent.
“Greater Shepparton remains a safe place to live, and it’s encouraging to see an overall reduction in crime over the past year,” Shepparton Local Area Commander Inspector Bruce Simpson said.
“Property crime remains a top priority for police, as we understand its impact on the community’s sense of safety.
“The community can be assured that we are focused on addressing this issue through targeted operations and around the clock patrols.”
He said the community should take extra measures to ensure their valuables were safe.
“We understand that offenders often seek opportunistic ways to steal valuables, such as checking homes and cars until they find one that is unlocked,” he said.
“Therefore, we strongly advise the community to take simple home security measures, such as locking all windows and doors, as this significantly reduces the likelihood of a burglary.”
Victoria Police Acting Deputy Regional Operations Commissioner Chris Gilbert said police were determined to “hold criminals accountable”.
“The reality is behind every statistic is a victim of crime,” he said.
“These people and their experiences are the reason our members doggedly pursue those who endanger the community.”
He mirrored Insp Simpson’s comments, encouraging people to remain vigilant.
“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,” he said.
“We understand many in the community are anxious about the increasing prevalence of intruders entering homes.
“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.”
Key crime trends
- Overall crimes against a person increased by 5.8 per cent year-on-year with 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 12 months to June 2024.
- Overall property and deception offences increased by 14.4 per cent, reaching their highest levels since 2017.
- Overall drug-related offending increased by 4.2 per cent reaching 31,505, up from 30,240.
Child and youth crime
- Overall child (10 to 17 years old) and youth (18 to 24 years old) offenders were responsible for 49,135 combined incidents — an increase of 12.4 per cent year-on-year.
- Crimes committed by children aged 10 to 17 rose to their highest levels since 2010.
- Those aged 14 to 17 were responsible for most child crime in Victoria; however, there was also an increase in offending among the youngest offenders.
- Children continue to be more frequently involved in robberies, car thefts, burglaries, overall crimes against the person and assaults.
- In the 12 months to June 2024, Victoria Police processed 7380 child offenders a combined 23,236 times.
Burglaries and car theft
- Overall, there were 26,817 home burglaries in Victoria — 2152 more than the year before.
- Despite this, the total number of Victorian homes being broken into remained well below levels from earlier in the past decade.
- However, aggravated residential burglaries reached historic highs, increasing 18 per cent year-on-year. This continues to be driven by opportunistic young burglars targeting predominantly unlocked homes.