Ebike thefts soar in NSW as Victoria’s crime rate drops for first time in four years
Summary
Crime in Victoria has slightly decreased for the first time in four years, with fewer young people committing crimes. However, theft has risen, particularly in New South Wales where ebike thefts have sharply increased.Key Facts
- Victoria saw 625,426 recorded criminal offences in the 12 months to March 2026, a 0.2% decrease from the year before.
- The crime rate in Victoria fell by 1.9%, the first drop since 2022.
- Offences involving young people in Victoria dropped by 6%, but youth still commit a large share of serious crimes like robberies and carjackings.
- Adult crime in Victoria increased by 10%, mainly due to more retail theft, bail breaches, and family violence order breaches.
- Car theft in Victoria hit its highest level since 2001-02, with 31,851 cars stolen last year.
- Theft in Victoria rose by 6.3%, with retail store thefts up 11.7%.
- In New South Wales, shoplifting rose by 9.1% and other stealing offences by 3.1% over two years to March 2026.
- Ebike thefts in NSW rose by 27%, making up over a third of stealing incidents.
- The number of adults charged in NSW courts grew by 10%, partly because of increased police activity, not just more crime.
- NSW prisons reached a record population of over 14,000, with record numbers of Indigenous adults and domestic violence offenders in custody.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.