Overall crime in Victoria increased by 82,237, or 15.7 per cent, to 605,640 criminal offences in 2024, according to crime statistics released on Thursday.
Victoria Police arrested 26,519 people 73,539 times in 2024 - the highest number since records began in 1993.
The state's crime rate - 8691 offenders per 100,000 people - is at its highest in almost a decade, rising by 13.2 per cent since 2023.
Theft from cars, retail stores, petty theft and stolen cars mark the four fastest growing crimes in the state in 2024, with stealing incidents increasing by 36 per cent to 41,890 alleged offender incidents.
Theft from motor vehicles rose by almost 19,000 incidents to 75,731 in 2024, making it the most common and fastest growing crime.
Number plate theft accounted for more than a third of motor vehicle theft, as criminals target plates to carry out further serious crimes in stolen cars.
Cost-of-living pressures continue to weigh heavily on households, as people resort to stealing groceries and clothing.
Retail theft offences grew to record levels by 10,512 to 38,750 in 2024, with alcohol remaining the prized item for thieves.
Other theft offences including stealing petrol, wallets and phones were the third fastest growing crimes in the state with 56,653 offences, an increase of 10,138 since 2023.
Car theft recorded a whopping 41.2 per cent increase with 28,922 incidents reported, the highest levels since 2002.
Police say criminals are turning to technology to mimic car keys which allow them to take control of certain car models without needing to steal the physical keys.
Crimes committed by children aged 10 -17 are at their highest levels since electronic records began in 1993, with 24,550 incidents amounting to a 16.3 per cent increase year-on-year.
There were 27,522 incidents of youth offending in those aged 18 to 24, an increase of 13.7 per cent.
Police processed 7414 child offenders 24,550 times last year, making repeat child offenders the key reason behind the overall increase in crimes.
"In simple terms, there are less children committing crime, but those who continue to offend are doing so more frequently," Victoria Police said.
Crime Statistics Australia Chief Statistician Fiona Dowsley said the theft rate has exceeded historical peaks.
"These increasingly prevalent theft offences can be opportunistic in nature and may be linked to cost-of-living pressures, especially for increases in shoplifting where increases are linked to adult offenders often in their 30s," she said.
"Younger alleged offenders tend to be involved in theft offences involving motor vehicles."
Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Bob Hill said the overall crime rates are unacceptable and the force is working with governments to strengthen protections.
Police Minister Anthony Carbines agreed the crime rate was unacceptable but said the number of unique offenders was flat.
"The offence rate continues to go up because of the repeat offenders out there, thumbing their nose at the courts, thumbing their nose to the community, thumbing their nose to Victoria Police," he told reporters at state parliament.
Some 20 young offenders committed more 300 aggravated burglaries with theft of a vehicle, he said.
Mr Carbines defended the proposed bail laws removing the principle of remand as a last resort for children when there is such small cohort of repeat youth offenders.
He argued it was too often being used as a "get out of jail free card" and young people needed to be held to account.
RMIT Social Equity Research Centre associate director Kathryn Daley reiterated the crime statistics are not convictions and many of them don't even make it to court.
The quarterly crime figures come as the upper house prepares to debate and vote on tightening bail laws, sparked by a spike in youth offending, aggravated burglaries, car thefts and knife crime.
The proposed changes would allow courts to jail offenders for up to three months if caught breaching a bail condition or committing an indictable offence while on bail for another indictable offence.
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