Criminal incidents have soared to a record high in the state, with youth over-represented in violent attacks and cost-of-living linked crimes the fastest growing type of offence.
In the Yarra Ranges, criminal incidents rose by 22.1 per cent compared to the year ending March 2024, with stealing from a motor vehicle surpassing the breaching of family violence orders in the top offence group.
Lilydale, Mooroolbark, Chirnside Park and Kilsyth each saw significant rises in criminal incidents, while Healesville saw the slightest decrease but still rounded out the top five leading offence suburbs in the municipality.
The total number of offences recorded was also up, an increase of 18.1 per cent, the breaching of family violence orders again being the top reported offence in the Yarra Ranges consecutively since 2021.
Offences in Victoria soared by 15.2 per cent in the 12 months to the end of March, when adjusted for population.
The were 627,268 offences recorded, while criminal incidents jumped to 474,927, up 18.1 per cent, the highest number since the Crime Statistics Agency started recording data two decades ago.
There was also a record number of family violence incidents, which were up 10.7 per cent to 106,247.
Child crime was at its highest level since 1993, when electronic records started, with 3300 of what Victoria Police described as the “worst youth offenders” arrested.
Those aged from 10-17 represented just 13.1 per cent of all offenders, but police said they were over-represented in violent and serious crimes, including robberies and aggravated burglaries.
In the Yarra Ranges, the 10-17 age group rivalled the over 45 age group in alleged offender incidents.
Property crimes were the fastest growing type of offence, which the force attributed to “difficult economic times”.
They include motor vehicle theft (up 47.1 per cent), theft from a motor vehicle (up 39.3 per cent), retail theft (up 38.6 per cent) and other theft (up 20.5 per cent).
Arrests jumped 23 per cent in the last decade, while some 25,917 people were arrested a combined 75,968 times in the last 12 months.
The data released on Thursday 19 June was recorded before the Victorian government introduced harsher bail laws.
Police Minister Anthony Carbines said justice department data showed the number of youths being held on remand had doubled since that legislation came into effect in late March.
Adults being held on remand have also jumped by 31 per cent.
Mr Carbines said soaring crime figures were being driven by repeat offenders, but the results were unacceptable.
“We’ll start to see those tougher bail laws have an effect on some of our crime statistics and crime indicators in future quarters,” he said.
Another round of bail reforms are expected to hit the floor of parliament in late July after the winter break.
Victoria Police acting Deputy Commissioner David Clayton said there was no doubt crime was higher than what the community and police would like it to be.
“We know the community has strong concerns around young offenders breaking into homes to steal cars, which are then driven at high speeds on our roads,” he said.
“This offending has led to catastrophic consequences in the past year, with stolen cars involved in more than 760 crashes and six people losing their lives.
He said knife crime was another area of focus, with some 44 blades removed from the streets each day.
The release of the figures came a day after shoppers were forced to take cover at Melbourne’s Northland Shopping Centre as a Toyota Landcruiser four-wheel drive was seen being driven through the centre of the complex.
No one was physically injured in the incident, which Victoria Police alleged occurred as the driver tried to evade officers in the stolen vehicle.
A 27-year-old East Melbourne man was arrested early on Thursday.
