Key Figures: Year ending 31 March 2019

Statewide figures – Year ending 31 March 2019

  • The number of criminal incidents recorded by Victoria Police in the year to 31 March 2019 was 387,157. This is up 2.0% from 379,396 incidents recorded in the same period last year.
  • The number of offences recorded by Victoria Police in the year to 31 March 2019 was 515,682. This is an increase of 2.6% from 502,587 offences recorded in the same period last year.
  • Alleged offender incidents increased 6.9% to 178,731 in the year to March 2019, up from 167,214.
  • Victim reports increased in the year to 31 March 2019 by 0.4% (1,224) to 299,948 victim reports.
  • Family incidents increased in the year to 31 March 2019, up 8.0% from 75,257 to 81,252.

 

Local Government Area level figures

Criminal Incidents – Year ending March 2019

The five Local Government Areas with the highest criminal incident rates in the year ending March 2019 were:

  1. Melbourne (14,767.7 incidents per 100,000 estimated resident population, down 6.7%)
  2. Latrobe (13,193.5 incidents per 100,000 estimated resident population, up 5.8%)
  3. Yarra (11,066.9 incidents per 100,000 estimated resident population, up 2.8%)
  4. Mildura (9,865.1 incidents per 100,000 estimated resident population, up 13.5%)
  5. Greater Shepparton (9,376.5 incidents per 100,000 estimated resident population, up 3.4%)

 

Recorded Offences –Year ending March 2019

The five Local Government Areas with the highest recorded offence rates in the year ending March 2019 were:

  1. Melbourne (19,696.9 offences per 100,000 estimated resident population, down 9.0%)
  2. Latrobe (19,379 offences per 100,000 estimated resident population, up 8.8%)
  3. Horsham (14,382.8 offences per 100,000 estimated resident population, up 16.0%)
  4. Greater Shepparton (13,448.0 offences per 100,000 estimated resident population, up 9.0%)
  5. Yarra (13,292.6 offences per 100,000 estimated resident population, down 2.1%)

 

Crime category trends

For the year ending March 2019, the offence subdivisions that showed significant upward trends in the last 24 months were:

 

Criminal Incidents Recorded Offences
  • Assault and related offences (up 3.6% in the last 12 months, from 39,025 to 40,428)
  • Assault and related offences (up 3.3% in the last 12 months, from 43,327 to 44,772)
  • Robbery (up 6.4% in the last 12 months, from 2,511 to 2,671)
  • Stalking, harassment and threatening behaviour (up 5.8% in the last 12 months, from 11,689 to 12,366)
  • Stalking, harassment and threatening behaviour (up 10.0% in the last 12 months, from 6,777 to 7,456)
  • Drug use and possession (up 12.9% in the last 12 months, from 23,066 to 26,051)
  • Theft (up 4.5% in the last 12 months, from 131,037 to 136,910) 
  • Weapons and explosives offences (up 8.5% in the last 12 months, from 14,695 to 15,937)
  • Deception (up 12.0% in the last 12 months, from 20,229 to 22,653)
  • Breaches of orders (up 11.7% in the last 12 months, from 57,246 to 63,943)
  • Drug use and possession (up 11.3% in the last 12 months, from 10,873 to 12,097)
  
  • Weapons and explosives offences (up 9.5% in the last 12 months, from 8,810 to 9,645)
  
  • Breaches of orders (up 7.7% in the last 12 months, from 38,260 to 41,223)
  

 

All other major offence categories did not show a significant upward trend over the last 24 months.

For the year ending March 2019, the offence subdivisions that showed a significant downward trend in the last 24 months were:

 

Criminal Incidents Recorded Offences
  • Burglary/Break and enter
    (down 13.8% in the last 12 months, from 42,754 to 36,869)
  • Burglary/Break and enter (down 13.5% in the last 12 months, from 45,128 to 39,019)
 
  • Other government regulatory offences (down 9.2% in the last 12 months, from 836 to 759)

 

All other major offence categories did not show a significant downward trend over the last 24 months.

For explanatory information and definitions for the latest release, see the Explanatory Notes (External link) and Glossary (External link).