Retail Theft and E-Bike Crime Rise as Victoria Records First Crime Drop in Years

Retail Theft and E-Bike Crime Rise as Victoria Records First Crime Drop in Years

Victoria has recorded its first annual decline in crime rates in four years, but rising theft offences continue to pose a challenge, while neighbouring New South Wales is grappling with a sharp increase in stolen e-bikes and shoplifting cases.

New figures released by Victoria’s Crime Statistics Agency show that 625,426 criminal offences were recorded across the state in the 12 months to March 2026, representing a marginal decline from the previous reporting period.

When adjusted for population growth, the crime rate fell by 1.9 per cent, marking the first reduction since 2022.

The data also revealed a drop in youth offending. Alleged offences involving young people fell by six per cent over the year, although young offenders remained heavily represented in serious crimes such as robbery, carjacking, home invasion and aggravated burglary.

According to the agency’s chief statistician, Fiona Dowsley, the latest figures indicate a reversal of the upward trend in youth-related offending seen in recent years.

While youth crime declined, offences linked to adults increased by 10 per cent. Authorities attributed the rise largely to breaches of bail conditions, violations of family violence orders and an increase in retail theft.

Police reported declines in armed robberies, burglaries and carjackings. However, vehicle theft remains a significant concern, with 31,851 cars reported stolen during the period, the highest figure recorded in more than two decades.

Stealing offences rose by 6.3 per cent overall, driven largely by retail crime.

More than half of the reported theft cases involved incidents in stores, with shoplifting increasing by nearly 12 per cent compared with the previous year.

Victorian police said economic pressures facing households may be contributing to the growing number of theft-related offences, even as broader crime indicators show signs of improvement.

In New South Wales, separate crime data showed overall offending levels remained relatively steady over the past two years.

However, theft-related crimes continued to rise, particularly shoplifting and the stealing of e-bikes.

Shoplifting increased by 9.1 per cent during the period, while other stealing offences rose by 3.1 per cent.

Investigators linked much of the increase to a surge in e-bike thefts, which jumped by 27 per cent and accounted for more than one-third of reported cases in that category.

The NSW figures also showed a rise in the number of adults appearing before the courts, with domestic violence-related matters contributing significantly to the increase.

Analysts said the growth in charges was largely the result of intensified policing and enforcement efforts rather than a substantial increase in criminal activity.

Despite relatively stable crime levels, New South Wales continues to see record prison populations, with more than 14,000 inmates in custody as of March.

The state has also recorded historic highs in the number of Indigenous adults and domestic violence offenders behind bars.