Release of Crime Statistics Agency data - year ending June 2026

There were 624,624 criminal offences recorded in Victoria in the 12 months to June 2026, a decrease of 13,360 offences (-2.1%). The crime rate, which accounts for population growth, declined by 3.8% to 8,679.6 offences per 100,000 people.

While these are encouraging signs, the data reflects a continued phase of stabilisation following a prolonged period of sustained increases. Crime levels remain unacceptably high and continue to sit above historical norms. Despite the year-on-year reduction, recorded crime remains 13.2% higher than three years ago.

Victoria Police analysis indicates organised crime, recidivism, mental health and illicit drugs remain the key drivers of crime. The increasing exploitation of technology also continues to enable and perpetuate offending across a range of crime types.

During this reporting period, Victoria Police arrested 27,092 people a combined 77,175 times – a record high. These results were enabled considerably by agile deployment initiatives, including greater flexibility for Protective Services Officers across a number of railway stations and shopping precincts within the network, and an ongoing commitment to prioritising the return of police members to frontline duties over station-based roles. These changes have enhanced operational responsiveness while also increasing visible police presence and strengthening the active deterrence of crime within our communities and on our roads.

Consistent with previous crime data releases, the top three contributors to overall crime remains breaches of orders (87,257 offences, 14% of total crime), theft from motor vehicle (77,874 offences, 12.4% of total crime) and assault related offences (52,680 offences, 8.4% of total crime). Within these crime types we have seen various increases and decreases.

Regarding theft, this reporting period saw decreases in Theft from Motor Vehicle (-10.4%), Theft of Motor Vehicle (-5.2%) and bicycle theft (-16.9%), however this was offset with increases in retail (+2.7%) and theft other (+1.7%). These increases can be explained to a certain extent by the newly introduced online reporting systems for retail and petrol theft, introduced by Victoria Police, to more accurately understand the extent of the offending and respond accordingly.

Breaches of orders, which falls under the category of justice procedures, increased by 4%. The overall category, which includes offences of intervention order and bail condition breaches and failing to comply with reporting obligations, among other offences, increased by 3.7% over the past year. With many of these orders and conditions in place to protect families and the community, these offences are serious and are detected through diligent policing holding offenders to account.

Assault and related offences saw an overall 1.9% decrease, with all assault related categories reducing, with the exception of two family violence related offences. Overall assaults related to family violence incidents (+1.6%) and family violence related serious assaults (+15.8%) both saw increases.

However, more broadly, family violence related incidents saw an overall reduction of 3.4%, reflected in both metropolitan (-2.9%) and regional (-4.4%) areas. Additionally, Victoria Police’s level of family violence enforcement has reached record levels, with around 16,500 family violence arrests made in this period. There are 29 Family Violence Investigation Units across the state comprised of dedicated detectives and intelligence practitioners whose sole focus is on driving these numbers down, while providing support to those impacted.

Drug abuse continues to be of concern to police, with an overall 11.6% increase in offenders being apprehended. One factor contributing to this increase was the 18.5% rise in offenders processed for trafficking and drug dealing, with cocaine, methylamphetamine, prescription, ecstasy and other narcotics all seeing increases. Dismantling these production and distribution channels are a result of targeted and intelligence-informed police work, which is critical to disrupt the flow-on impacts we know drugs have in our community.

Victoria Police has recorded some very strong reductions in road trauma, with fatalities down 14.2% in 2026 to date. Proactive engagement with drivers has increased, with intelligence indicating vehicle intercepts up around 9% in 2026 and enforcement activity across key focus areas, including speed, impairment, distraction, seatbelts and unauthorised driving, resulting in a significant increase in penalty notices. These efforts were supported by a record 3.225 million roadside alcohol screening tests conducted during the last financial year, alongside a further 173,967 roadside drug tests.

All of these achievements are especially notable in the context of operational demand and ongoing statewide resourcing constraints, as vacancies for sworn members at Victoria Police remains high. As of 31 August 2026, Victoria Police had 1340 full-time equivalent police vacancies.

KEY CRIME THEMES

Serious and violent crimes

• Pleasingly, serious and violent crime has decreased by 4.1%.
• Robbery (-22.9%), residential aggravated burglaries (-27%), carjackings/attempted carjackings (-25.4%) and overall burglary offences (-19.9%) all saw significant decreases.
• As with many offence types, visible policing plays an active role in driving this offending down, with proactive patrols acting as both active deterrents and agile response where necessary.
• Victoria Police continues to target much of this offending through Operation Trinity, the state's largest burglary and theft of motor vehicle operation, which deploys nightly patrols and intercepts suspect vehicles in identified hotspots across Melbourne.
• Operation Trinity continues to drive significant enforcement outcomes, with just under 500 offenders arrested in relation to almost 1,000 offences between August 2025 and August 2026

Retail Theft

• Theft from retail stores has increased by 2.7% over the past year, an additional 1,137 offences or 43,124 offences in total.
• Retail theft remains the most common offence for those aged 29 and under.
• Victoria Police's expanded online reporting options have improved visibility of these crimes and made it easier for retailers and fuel operators to report incidents.
• Victoria Police continues to target this offending through Operation Pulse, the state's largest targeted operation addressing this activity, which has resulted in more than 2,000 arrests and over 4,000 charges being laid.
• As the operation expands into additional retail precincts, police expect to deliver further enforcement outcomes.
• New initiatives are also being introduced regularly to combat this offending type. As recently as this week Victoria Police introduced a new activation trial involving a targeted concentration of police, partners, and community activity focused on crime prevention, maintaining a visible police presence during high-risk convergence periods, and supporting victims of crime.

Quotes attributable to Deputy Commissioner Regional Operations Bob Hill:

“While it is pleasing to see overall crime figures stabilising, and many categories seeing reductions, general levels remain elevated, reinforcing the need for Victoria Police to maintain a strong focus on prevention and enforcement activities.

“Community safety is maximised when our people are visible, proactive and focused on frontline policing. By continuing to modernise the way we deploy our workforce, we are increasing our capacity to prevent crime, target emerging issues and provide a stronger policing presence where it matters most.

“A four per cent reduction in serious and violent crime is an encouraging result, but our work is far from over. We remain firmly committed to reducing harm across the community and will continue striving not only to meet our targets, but to exceed them.

“Victoria Police will continue to focus on prevention where we can, enforcement where we must, and maintaining the visible, proactive policing presence that communities in this state rightly expect and deserve.”

Media Unit

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