Media Release: Key crime measures decrease, victimisation rates are the lowest ever reported by CSA

The Crime Statistics Agency (CSA) released the Victorian recorded crime statistics for the year ending 31 December 2021 today. 

The rate of recorded offences decreased 12.6% to 7,157.2 per 100,000 Victorians in the last 12 months, as did the number of offences, down 12.8% to 477,999. This decrease was driven by Breach of Chief Health Officer (CHO) directions* related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Property and deception related offences and Drug offences. 

The victimisation rate decreased by 3.3% to 3,000.2 reports per 100,000 Victorians and is the lowest ever reported by the CSA. The number of person-related victim reports also decreased (down 3.6% to 200,371), to its lowest level since 2011, as did the number of organisation reports (down 9.6% to 65,194). This is the lowest number of organisations as victims of crime the CSA has reported. These decreases for person-related victim reports were driven by acquisitive crime types, all property and deception offence types decreased in the last 12 months.

In the 12 months to 31 December 2021 the criminal incident rate decreased 13.0% to 5,232.4 per 100,000 Victorians as did the number of incidents, down 13.2% to 349,452 incidents. 

Alleged offender incidents decreased 18.9% to 162,435 in the last 12 months, as did the rate down 18.8% to 2,767.6 per 100,000. This decrease was driven by fewer Breach of CHO directions offences*, Drug offences and acquisitive crime types. On the other hand, E21 Breach family violence order increased (up 6.3%), as did A23 Common assault and B21 Criminal damage. 

Family incidents decreased 1.5% in the last 12 months to 91,144 incidents, this is the first decrease since 2017. The rate of family incidents also decreased in the last 12 months, down 1.2% to 1,364.7 incidents per 100,000 Victorians, also the first decrease since 2017.

 
CSA Chief Statistician Fiona Dowsley said that “decreases in acquisitive crime such as thefts and burglaries have driven the Victimisation rate down in the last 12 months to the lowest levels ever reported by the CSA.” 

”As COVID-19-related health responses and restrictions have evolved there have continued to be fewer Breaches CHO directions offences recorded in the past 12 months” 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 in Alleged offender incidents F92 Public health and safety offences is used as a proxy as the majority of the offences recorded in this group are Breach of CHO offences (99.8%).