The Crime Statistics Agency (CSA) has released the Victorian recorded crime statistics for the year ending 30 June 2026.
Crime fell across Victoria in the year to June 2026, but Port Phillip moved in the opposite direction, with recorded offences up 3.5%, criminal incidents edging higher and alleged offender incidents surging 20.6%. The official Crime Statistics Agency data shows the sharpest local improvement was in family incidents, which fell 12.8%.
The divide was clearest in alleged offender incidents, which increased more than three times as quickly in Port Phillip as across Victoria. Victim reports fell locally, although by much less than statewide, while family incidents recorded the strongest comparative improvement.
Statewide crime rates have decreased
The statewide recorded-offence rate fell 3.8% to 8,679.6 per 100,000 Victorians in the year to 30 June 2026, while the number of offences fell 2.1% to 624,624. Despite the overall decline, justice procedures offences increased 3.7%, or 3,685, to 102,015. Breaches of orders drove the rise, increasing by 3,362 to 87,257 offences. Breach of bail condition offences rose from 5,473 to 17,250 following the introduction of new breach of bail offences under the 2025 bail reforms.
Port Phillip moved markedly against the statewide trend
While the number of recorded offences fell 2.1% across Victoria, it rose 3.5% in Port Phillip—from 15,647 in 2025 to 16,196 in 2026. The municipality’s offence rate also remained well above the Victorian rate throughout the period shown. Theft drove the local result: stealing from a motor vehicle was the largest offence subgroup, with 2,897 offences, followed by stealing from a retail store with 1,579.
Across Victoria, the number of criminal incidents fell 2.9%, or 14,064, to 468,070 in the year to 30 June 2026. The statewide rate declined 4.6% to 6,504.2 incidents per 100,000 Victorians.
The local gap is just as clear in criminal incidents
Victoria recorded a 2.9% fall, but Port Phillip did not share that improvement: local incidents edged up 0.2%, from 12,588 to 12,617. St Kilda alone recorded 3,458 incidents, ahead of South Melbourne with 2,782 and Port Melbourne with 1,997, while stealing from a motor vehicle led the principal offence subgroups with 2,725 incidents.
Local surge in alleged offender incidents
Statewide alleged offender incidents increased 6.6% to 195,572 in the year to 30 June 2026, while the rate rose 4.6% to 3,062.1 per 100,000 Victorians. Theft-related incidents increased 4.3%, or 1,822, to 44,544, driven by a 9.3% rise in shoplifting to 21,306 incidents.
By comparison, Port Phillip recorded 3,978 alleged offender incidents in 2026, up 20.6% from 3,299 in 2025—more than three times Victoria’s 6.6% increase. Theft was the leading principal offence subdivision locally, with 1,164 incidents, followed by assault and related offences with 708 and breaches of orders with 470.
Victim reports offer only limited reassurance
Statewide, the victimisation rate decreased 7.6% to 3,665.0 reports per 100,000 Victorians. The number of person-related victim reports fell 6.0% to 263,746, while reports from organisations fell 1.3% to 115,730. The decline in person-related victim reports was driven primarily by a 7.8% fall in theft reports to 121,410.
Person-related victim reports fell 0.6% in Port Phillip, from 11,276 in 2025 to 11,208 in 2026—only one-tenth of Victoria’s 6.0% decline. Theft accounted for 4,541 local victim reports, far ahead of assault and related offences with 1,106 and burglary or break and enter with 786.
Family incidents are the notable local exception
Statewide family incidents decreased 3.4% in the year to 30 June 2026, with 102,830 incidents recorded across Victoria. The rate fell 5.0% to 1,428.9 incidents per 100,000 Victorians.
Port Phillip recorded 1,439 family incidents in 2026, down 12.8% from 1,650 in 2025—a decline almost four times Victoria’s 3.4% fall. The local rate also remained below the Victorian rate shown in the dashboard, making this the clearest area in which Port Phillip outperformed the statewide result.
“Despite an increase in shoplifting offences, property crime is down overall, driven by decreases in burglary and other theft offences,” CSA Chief Statistician Fiona Dowsley said.
“Shoplifting offences have increased 2.7% in the last 12 months, with grocery items showing the largest increase amongst items taken,” Ms Dowsley said.
