Media release: Victimisation rates lowest in over a decade

The Crime Statistics Agency has today released the Victorian recorded crime statistics for the year ending 31 December 2018.

In the last 12 months the number of criminal incidents increased by 2.0% or 7,447 incidents to 386,938 while the criminal incident rate declined by 0.3% to 5,981.3 incidents per 100,000 Victorians, the lowest rate since the year ending December 2014.

The number of recorded offences increased by 1.7% to 512,594 while the offence rate dropped 0.6% to 7,923.7 offences per 100,000 Victorians, the lowest since the year ending December 2014.

Alleged offender incidents recorded by Victoria Police continued to increase in the last 12 months up by 4.5% to 176,459. This is a 47.6% increase in the last 10 years and is the highest numbers in CSA data holdings which go back to July 2004.

In the year ending December 2018 the number of victim reports recorded increased by 0.7% to 300,952. The rate decreased by 1.6% in the last 12 months to 4,652.1 victim reports per 100,000 Victorians, the lowest in CSA data holdings which go back to July 2004.

Family related incidents increased 5.7% in the last 12 months to 79,348 incidents. The family incident rate increased by 3.3% to 1,226.6 incidents per 100,000 population.

Crime Statistics Agency Chief Statistician Fiona Dowsley said that “victimisation rates have continued to decline in the last decade and are the lowest in CSA data holding, since July 2004.”

Further information can be found in the latest crime statistics quarterly release, available from the CSA website: http://www.crimestatistics.vic.gov.au/crime-statistics/latest-crime-data/ (External link)

For further information please contact:
Crime Statistics Agency
Phone: 8684 1808
Email: info@crimestatistics.vic.gov.au (External link)