Recent figures from the Crime Statistics Agency (CSA) indicate that the overall incidence of criminal activities has risen to levels not seen since 2016.
Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Bob Hill described the rising crime rate as “totally unacceptable”.
The overall crime rate also spiked by 13.2 per cent from last year, reaching the highest rate since 2016.
Police managed to arrest about 201 people a day, meaning 26,519 people were arrested a combined total of 73,539 times.
The highest recorded crimes included theft from motor vehicles, which police described as the most “common and fastest” growing crime.
More than a third of offences were related to number plate theft, and the number of car thefts jumped 41 per cent.
Family violence incidents also surged, with 8482 offenders arrested 15,487 times.
“While instances of youth crime are evident in public spaces and media reports, the epidemic of domestic violence unfolding within homes has escalated to unprecedented levels, prompting law enforcement to intervene in an incident every five minutes,” Hill remarked.
The challenging economic climate is also contributing significantly to the rise in criminal behavior, as financial hardships frequently trigger incidents of domestic violence and drive more individuals to resort to theft from retail outlets in order to provide basic necessities for themselves and their families.”
