Victoria's crime rate spikes as Opposition warns of a 'crime tsunami'
Updated
The increase in Victoria's crime rate is showing no sign of stopping, with the latest statistics revealing a more than 13 per cent rise in total offences.
Murder, assault, theft and aggravated burglary are all up, in a trend that began in 2011.
The latest figures from Victoria's Crime Statistics Agency show the total number of offences reached 535,826 during the past financial year, an increase of 13.4 per cent.
Chief Police Commissioner Graham Ashton admitted tackling the rising crime rate was a challenge.
"It is a high number but we have slowed that growth that we have seen in recent times," he said.
There were 82,000 total offenders and 246,000 victims of crime.
The overall increasing crime rate has posed an ongoing challenge for Premier Daniel Andrews.
"These are a very challenging set of crime statistics," he said.
"They are right across the community and they have a profound effect on people in every part of our state."
Despite an apparent public perception that youth crime was spiking because of incidents involving the Apex gang during the Moomba Festival in March, youth crime overall fell.
Deputy Commissioner Andrew Crisp said crimes committed by people aged between 15 and 19 fell by 5 per cent, and there was a decrease of 4 per cent in crimes committed by people aged under 25.
"That smaller group of offenders that is left are actually committing more offences and committing more serious offences," he said.
But Deputy Commissioner Crisp stressed police early intervention programs were working.
More than 180 youths were arrested in a police operation to tackle recent gang violence.
'Greater reporting' of family violence
Family violence offences increased 10 per cent, from 70,000 reported offences in 2014/15 to 78,000 in the most recent financial year.
Police said greater awareness of family violence meant there was increased reporting.
Assaults were up 11 per cent, robberies up 14 per cent and aggravated burglaries — in which offenders broke into homes while victims were present — rose by 7 per cent.
Driving offences, particularly drink-driving, were down but police were alarmed about a three-fold increase in offenders trying to ram police and police cars.
There were 104 such incidents in 2015-16.
Opposition says state facing 'crime tsunami'
Victoria's Opposition leader Matthew Guy said Victoria was experiencing a "crime tsunami".
"I've never felt more unsafe from my 42 years living in this state than I do today."
"My wife and I check every door, every window at night and I know I'm not alone — all my neighbours are the same," Mr Guy said.
The latest statistics showed break and enter offences and burglaries had risen in Mr Guy's electorate of Bulleen, up from 401 in 2012 to 652 in the most recent period.
Premier Andrews rejected Mr Guy's claims, saying crime rates had also increased under the previous government.
Topics: crime, crime-prevention, law-crime-and-justice, police, state-parliament, states-and-territories, assault, murder-and-manslaughter, parliament-house-3002, vic, bulleen-3105
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