Media Release: Victimisation rates are the lowest since the year ending 2005

The Crime Statistics Agency (CSA) released the Victorian recorded crime statistics for the year ending 30 June 2022 today. 

The rate of recorded offences decreased 10.6% to 7,121.5 per 100,000 Victorians in the last 12 months, as did the number of offences, down 10.0% to 469,506. This decrease was driven by a reduction in Breach of Chief Health Officer (CHO) directions* related to the COVID-19 pandemic (down 69.3% or 22,345 to 9,919 offences), Obtain benefit by deception (down 20.7% or 6,025 to 23,066 offences) and Drug possession offences (down 17.5% or 5,062 to 23,800 offences). 

In the 12 months to 30 June 2022 the criminal incident rate decreased 10.2% to 5,177.9 per 100,000 Victorians as did the number of incidents, down 9.6% to 341,367 incidents.

Alleged offender incidents decreased 12.0% to 163,028 in the last 12 months, as did the rate down 12.8% to 2,808.2 per 100,000. The number of unique alleged offenders decreased 7.2% to 83,506 offenders in the year ending June 2022. 

The victimisation rate decreased by 4.3% to 2,936.1 reports per 100,000 Victorians to the lowest since 2005. The number of person-related victim reports (down 3.7% to 193,570) and organisation reports (down 3.9% to 62,908). Property and deception offences drove the decrease and are the lowest since 2005, for both Organisation and Person victim reports. In the last 12 months number of unique person victims decreased 3.4% (5,815 victims) to 164,104, with organisation victims decreasing 1.7% to 34,809. All unique victims’ measures are the lowest since 2005.

Family incidents decreased 3.1% in the last 12 months, with 90,553 incidents recorded across Victoria. The rate of family incidents also decreased, down 3.7% to 1,373.5 incidents per 100,000 Victorians. 

CSA Chief Statistician Fiona Dowsley said that “Victoria has seen a notable decrease in overall recorded crime levels during the COVID-19 pandemic period. Decreases in acquisitive crime such as thefts and deception have contributed to the lowest victimisation numbers and rates since 2005”.

“Decreases in Breaches of Chief Health Officer orders have continued to be the main driver of the decreases in key crime measures in the last 12 months from peaks in 2020. Deception and drug offences also contributed to these decreases” 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, F92 Public health and safety offences is used as a proxy as the majority of the offences recorded in the group are Breach of CHO offences (99.3%).