Crime has reached record levels in one of the nation’s most populous states with theft, family violence and youth offenders doing the damage.
The number of criminal incidents recorded in the year to September 30 was 431,683, up 15 per cent on the same period the year before, Victoria’s Crime Statistics Agency revealed on Thursday.
It’s the highest record of criminal incidents since the agency began reporting 20 years ago.
Police also made the most arrests since 2005, nabbing 26,640 people a total of 70,863 times in the annual period, averaging to 194 arrests a day.
Police urge people to look out for signs a friend or relative may be a domestic violence victim. (Diego Fedele/AAP PHOTOS)
Family violence has reached its highest levels ever in the state, while theft and youth crime are peaking as well.
“Rising crime has been driven by several factors, led by a surge in family violence,” Deputy Commissioner Regional Operations Neil Paterson said.
“For the first time ever, Victoria reached the unwanted milestone of more than 100,000 family violence incidents – meaning police responded to a family violence incident every five minutes.”
A week before Christmas, Mr Paterson warned family violence incidents tend to increase sharply on what is meant to be a celebratory day.
On Christmas Day in 2023, police responded to 372 family violence incidents, compared to the yearly daily average of 279.
Mr Patterson said officers will be checking in on known offenders in the lead-up to Christmas and urged people to look out for warning signs their friends or family may be a victim.
Theft from motor vehicles, particularly number plates and power tools, saw the greatest year-on-year increase, followed by theft from shops, theft in general and theft of vehicles.
Crime by children aged 10 to 17 reached its highest level in 15 years, with 23,810 incidents representing a 17 per cent jump on the year before.
Those aged 14 to 17 were responsible for the most child crime.
“While child and youth crime has again increased, there are some positive signs with less first-time offenders aged between 10 and 17, as well as continual decreases in the number of youth offenders aged between 18 and 24,” Mr Paterson said.
The statistics show police cannot allocate sufficient resources to prevent crime, the union says. (Con Chronis/AAP PHOTOS)
The statistics are the first released since Victoria Police members started strike action in November in an ongoing, bitter pay battle that is before the Fair Work Commission.
Police Association secretary Wayne Gatt said crime was climbing as officer numbers declined.
“We can’t, to be quite honest, allocate sufficient resources to prevent crime to the extent that we should and I think that’s telling in these record high statistics,” he told ABC Radio Melbourne.
Figures released by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research earlier in December showed recorded crime across 13 major categories remained stable in the two years to the end of September.
However, the statistics for Australia’s most populated state did find growth in family violence assaults, sexual offences and retail theft.