Latest crime statistics show increases in theft and burglary/break and enter offences

MEDIA RELEASE

Embargo: 9:00AM Thursday 16 June 2016

Latest crime statistics show increases in theft and burglary/break and enter offences

 
The Crime Statistics Agency has today released its recorded crime statistics for Victoria for the year ending 31 March 2016.

Recorded crime statistics show that there were 519,130 offences recorded by Victoria Police in the year to March 2016, up 12.4% compared to the same period last year. This equated to an offence rate of 8,575.9 per 100,000 of the population, up 10.3% from the previous year. A large proportion of this increase is attributed to increases in property and deception offences, which were up 13.5% and comprised almost 60% of all recorded crimes in Victoria in the last 12 months.

Offender incidents increased by 11.2% to 172,049 offender incidents in the year ending March 2016, making the Victorian offender rate 2,842.2 offender incidents per 100,000 population. Almost half of all offenders were aged between 20 and 34, with this age group making up 48% of the total increase in offender incidents in the last 12 months.

The victimisation rate increased by 10.4% compared to the same period last year, making the rate 5,134.8 per 100,000 population in the year to March 2016.

Crime Statistics Agency Chief Statistician Fiona Dowsley said that while property and deception offences overall have increased in the last 12 months, 65% of this increase is due to an increase in theft.

‘Our analysis shows that one in every three recorded offences in Victoria are theft related.’ Ms Dowsley said.

‘In the year to March 2016 there has been a significant downward trend in the number of disorderly and offensive conduct offences, down by 15.6% compared to the same period last year.’

‘This quarter’s spotlight article also shows that property damage offences in Victoria have been trending down over a five year period.’

 

Further information can be found in the latest crime statistics quarterly release, available from the CSA website:

http://www.crimestatistics.vic.gov.au/home/crime+statistics/latest+crime+data/ (External link)