Media Release: Pandemic impacts continue to drive key crime measures down

The Crime Statistics Agency (CSA) released the Victorian recorded crime statistics for the year ending 31 March 2022 today. 


The rate of recorded offences decreased 11.9% to 7,048.2 per 100,000 Victorians in the last 12 months, as did the number of offences, down 11.5% to 470,405. This decrease was driven by a reduction in Breach of Chief Health Officer (CHO) directions* related to the COVID-19 pandemic (down 72.2% or 27,225 to 10,477 offences) and Property and deception offences (down 6.0% or 15,153 to 237,942 offences). 


In the 12 months to 31 March 2022 the criminal incident rate decreased 11.5% to 5,142.2 per 100,000 Victorians as did the number of incidents, down 11.2% to 343,194 incidents. This decrease was also driven by reductions in Breach of Chief Health Officer (CHO) directions* related to the COVID-19 pandemic (down 73.2% or 27,188 to 9,964 incidents) and Property and deception offences (down 2.8% or 5,421 to 187,421 incidents). 


Alleged offender incidents decreased 18.3% to 161,270 in the last 12 months, as did the rate down 18.6% to 2,744.9 per 100,000. This decrease was driven by Breach of Chief Health Officer (CHO) directions  related to the COVID-19 pandemic and Property and deception offences (down 10.1% or 5,582 to 49,698 incidents). 


The victimisation rate decreased by 2.5% to 2,926.3 reports per 100,000 Victorians, as did the number of person-related victim reports (down 2.1% to 195,303) and organisation reports (down 3.9% to 63,525). These decreases for person-related victim reports were driven by acquisitive crime types (down 2.5% or 3,292 to 129,002 reports), all property and deception offence subdivisions decreased in the last 12 months.


Family incidents decreased 2.4% in the last 12 months, with 90,794 incidents recorded across Victoria. The rate of family incidents also decreased, down 2.7% to 1,360.4 incidents per 100,000 Victorians. 


CSA Chief Statistician Fiona Dowsley said that “changes to COVID-19 responses have resulted in fewer Breaches of CHO direction offences, driving key crime measures down in the last 12 months“.


“Decreases in acquisitive crime such as thefts and deception have also contributed to decreases in key crime measures, following trends seen throughout the pandemic period” Ms Dowsley said. 


More detailed information is available on the latest crime data webpage.


For further information please contact: 
Crime Statistics Agency 
Email: info@crimestatistics.vic.gov.au (External link)

* To represent Breach of CHO offences, F92 Public health and safety offences is used as a proxy as the majority of the offences recorded in the group are Breach of CHO offences (99.5%).