Key Figures: Year ending December 2020

State wide figures

  • The number of criminal incidents recorded by Victoria Police in the year to 31 December 2020 was 403,689, up 0.3% from 402,318 incidents recorded in the same period last year.
  • The number of offences recorded by Victoria Police in the year to 31 December 2020 was 548,354. This is up 2.3% from 535,952 offences recorded in the same period last year.
  • Alleged offender incidents increased 29.1% to 210,537 in the year to 31 December 2020, up from 163,073.
  • Victim reports decreased in the year to 31 December 2020 down 11.6% (36,811) to 280,162 victim reports.
  • Family incidents increased in the year to 31 December 2020, up 9.4% from 84,543 to 92,521.
  • Alleged offender incidents with an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status increased 13.6% to 14,929 in the year ending December 2020.
  • In the year ending December 2020 the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status of those involved in Family incident increased for Affected family members (up 3.5% to 4,636) while Other parties increased (up 7.3% to 5,740).

 

Local Government Area level figures

Criminal Incidents

The highest criminal incident rates in Local Government Areas in the year ending December 2020 were:

  • Melbourne (14,320.0 incidents per 100,000 estimated resident population, down 5.0%)
  • Latrobe (12,707.1 incidents per 100,000 estimated resident population, down 5.0%)
  • Yarra (11,055.2 incidents per 100,000 estimated resident population, up 1.3%)
  • Ararat (9,307.2 incidents per 100,000 estimated resident population, down 29.2%)
  • Greater Shepparton (9,026.3 incidents per 100,000 estimated resident population, down 5.5%).

 

Recorded Offences

The highest recorded offence rates in Local Government Areas in the year ending December 2020 were:

  • Melbourne (19,482.6 offences per 100,000 estimated resident population, down 4.0%)
  • Latrobe (17,969.8 offences per 100,000 estimated resident population, down 3.0%)
  • Yarra (13,788.3 offences per 100,000 estimated resident population, up 3.6%)
  • Greater Shepparton (13,702.5 offences per 100,000 estimated resident population, up 3.1%)
  • Ararat (13,320.1 offences per 100,000 estimated resident population, up 25.0%).

 

Crime category trends 

For the year ending December 2020, the offence subdivisions that showed significant upward trends in the last 24 months were:

Criminal Incidents Recorded Offences
  • Stalking, harassment & threatening behaviour
  • Stalking, harassment & threatening behaviour
  • Cultivate or manufacture drugs
  • Cultivate or manufacture drugs
  • Justice procedures
  • Miscellaneous offences
  • Miscellaneous offences

 

All other major offence categories did not show a significant upward trend over the last 24 months.

 

For the year ending December 2020, the offence subdivisions that showed a significant downward trend in the last 24 months were:

Criminal Incidents Recorded Offences
  • Robbery
  • Robbery
  • Arson
  • Arson
  • Disorderly and offensive conduct
  • Disorderly and offensive conduct

 

All other major offence categories did not show a significant downward trend over the last 24 months.

 

For a detailed breakdown of the data go to the (External link)latest crime data webpage and for explanatory information and definitions, see the Explanatory Notes (External link) and Glossary (External link)