1 day Ago By Brittany Busch
Repeat youth offenders are driving a 13.2 per cent rise in Victorian crime rates to levels not seen in almost a decade. The latest Crime Statistics Agency data shows crimes committed by children aged 10 to 17 rose last year to their highest levels since electronic records began in 1993.
Repeat youth offenders are helping drive a rise in Victorian crime rates. Credit: Night News There were 7414 children arrested a combined 24,550 times in 2024, with 330 “hardened young offenders” arrested three or more times for violent crimes. Victoria Police said the overall crime rate for 2024 – which factors in Victoria’s population growth – was 8691.
6 offences per 100,000 people, up 13.2 per cent from 2023. This is the highest offence rate since 2016.
Deputy Commissioner Regional Operations Bob Hill said the rise in child crime was unacceptable, but bail reform would be crucial to help police crack down on young offenders. “We completely understand the community concerns around young offenders breaking into homes, stealing cars, and putting other people at risk on our roads,” Hill said in a statement. “Be assured that police are arresting the state’s worst young offenders again and again – youth gang members, child car thieves and underage burglars were arrested 3400 times last year.
“As a society, we simply cannot tolerate this level of offending. The time has come for Victorians to feel safe in their homes again and for young offenders to be held accountable.” The Allan Labor government’s new bail laws , which include a machete ban and extended police stop-and-search powers, will be debated in parliament on Thursday.
According to the crime statistics, fewer children breaking the law more often was driving the rise in crime. Police Minister Anthony Carbines, Premier Jacinta Allan and Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny announcing changes to Victoria’s bail laws. Credit: AAP “The number of unique child offenders actually decreased by 3 per cent, however the total number of repeat offenders increased by 4.
9 per cent. In simple terms, there are less children committing crime, but those who continue to offend are doing so more frequently,” the Victoria Police statement said. Aggravated burglaries – meaning someone is home at the time or the offender has a weapon – have reached record levels, driven by a “hardcore group” of offenders aged between 14 and 17.
Overall, 605,640 criminal offences were recorded last year – the highest crime rate since 2016 – and 26,519 people were arrested a total of 73,539 times, which is the most arrests made in a year since electronic records began. Family violence incidents hit an all-time record, with 8,482 family violence offenders arrested 15,487 times. “While youth crime is playing out on our streets and in our newspapers, the scourge of family violence carried out behind closed doors has hit record levels that see police responding to an incident every five minutes,” Hill said.
“Highly difficult economic times are also having a significant impact on crime, with financial pressures a common cause for family violence, while more people are resorting to stealing from shops to feed and clothe themselves and their family.” Four of the top five fastest growing crimes were theft-related, topped by theft from a motor vehicle and from a retail store. The number of car thefts jumped 41 per cent last year, which police said was caused by cloning of electronic keys.
Rising tensions over Victoria’s crime rates resulted in a shake-up in leadership at Victoria Police last month, with ousted deputy police commissioner Neil Paterson accusing the state government on Wednesday of conspiring to clear the top levels of the force because it did not like the advice it was receiving. Paterson was told in February his contract would not be renewed just days after chief commissioner Shane Patton resigned following a vote of no confidence from the police union . Premier Jacinta Allan said the conspiracy allegations were “completely untrue”.
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