Why police are hailing state’s `heartening’ crime rates
CHILDREN AND CAR THIEVES ADD TO INCREASE IN VICTORIAN CRIME BY 2025
* 640,592 crimes recorded in the 12 months to 31 December 2025, an increase of 25,250 or 4.2 per cent
* Crime rate increased by 2.4 percent to 8885.5 criminals per 100,000 people
* Theft, including motor vehicle, retail and other types of theft, accounted for one-third of all crimes
* Four youth gang members arrested every day in 2025
* 17,400 machetes and knives were seized
* A record breaking arrest for domestic violence will be made every 30 minutes by 2025
* The victimization rate increased by 0.8 per cent to 3840 reports per 100,000 Victorians.
* Victim reports about individuals increased by 2.6 percent to 272,520, and reports about organizations increased by 3.6 percent to 113,325.
* Theft increased by 5.4 percent in people’s victim reports to 126,665
* Victoria Police says positive signs are starting to emerge as overall crime begins to stabilize after several years of sharp increases
* “While it is welcome that crime is stabilising, it will take time for crime to drop to levels traditionally seen in Victoria” – Deputy Police Commissioner Bob Hill
YOUTH CRIME
* Incidents disturbing young people increased by 23,690, an increase of 2.3 percent
* In 2025, 1223 children were arrested a total of 6997 times
* Children committed 57.6 percent of carjacking cases, 52.6 percent of home invasion cases, 47.8 percent of aggravated theft cases and 62.4 percent of robbery cases
* Youth gang members were most responsible for 1,480 gang-related arrests and 4,300 charges in 2025
CAR THEFTS
* 32,000 cars stolen in 2025; this is the highest level in a calendar year since 2001
* Car thefts have almost doubled in the last three years and increased by 96.9 percent
* The results are directly linked to an increase in the number of thieves using key spoofing or cloning technology to bypass vehicle security systems; 30 percent to 40 percent of all cars are now stolen this way
* In 2025, 800 key imitation devices were seized during search warrants to accuse criminals of stealing vehicles or to seize suspicious cars
*Most vehicles stolen using key cloning devices include Holden Commodores, Toyotas (Land Cruiser, Corolla, Hilux, Rav4) and Subaru Imprezas
HOME THEFTS
* Aggravated burglaries fell 4.1 percent from 7,458 crimes, falling for the first time since 2020
* Aggravated burglaries remain at second highest levels on record
* In 2025, 612 thieves were arrested a total of 1436 times
RETAIL THEFT
* 41,547 retail theft crimes in 2025, an increase of 2,393 or 6.1 percent
* Nearly 710 people were arrested and more than 1,450 charges were laid for crimes committed in Melbourne shopping centres, including shoplifting, carrying weapons and criminals driving stolen cars
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
Lifeline 13 11 14
Male Referral Service 1300 766 491
Child Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25)
