Victoria is facing a serious escalation in criminal activity, with newly released data revealing more than 41,000 additional offences recorded across the state in just one year.
According to the Crime Statistics Agency (CSA), there were 545,575 offences recorded by Victoria Police in the 12 months ending March 2025—an increase of 10.2% compared to the previous year.
The number of criminal incidents surged by 8.3%, rising from 373,976 to 405,944. Reports of victimisation rose by 7.3%, while alleged offender incidents jumped by 6.4%.
These figures mark the highest year-on-year increase in recent memory, with nearly every major category of crime recording significant growth.
Key Crime Categories on the Rise
The CSA data shows substantial increases in high-impact crime types:
- Steal from motor vehicle: up 7,998 incidents
- Breach of family violence orders: up 5,159 incidents
- Drug possession offences: up 4,635 incidents
- Criminal damage: up 3,583 incidents
- Aggravated burglary: up 1,327 incidents
The total number of unique alleged offenders also rose by 5.7%, indicating a broader spread of criminal activity across the population.
Victoria Police Response
In a media statement issued the same day the CSA figures were released, Victoria Police acknowledged the overall rise in crime but pointed to reductions in some categories, including family violence related incidents, which fell by 1.6%. The number of child victims of crime also declined slightly, by 1.4%.
Victoria Police noted that many offence types showing the greatest increases were the focus of targeted enforcement efforts, such as drug possession and breaches of court orders.
The police force reported conducting over 95,000 targeted operations and almost 1 million proactive patrols during the reporting period.
Growing Volume, Growing Pressure
The sharp rise in offences reflects a growing burden on the state’s policing and justice systems. With tens of thousands of additional incidents reported—many involving property damage, violence, and serious breaches—the impact is being felt in communities across Victoria.
The full dataset and statistical breakdown are available via the Crime Statistics Agency at www.crimestatistics.vic.gov.au.
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