Melbourne sits in the Melbourne council area, which records 17,110 offences per 100,000 residents, well above the Victorian average. Most home break-ins are opportunistic, so visible attention and a fast alert to the people who can help matter more than any sticker on a window.
Is Melbourne safe?
By the numbers, crime in Melbourne, the council area covering Melbourne, is higher than most of Victoria: 17,110 offences per 100,000 residents against a state average of 6,174, ranked 1 of 80 council areas. Recorded incidents in Melbourne itself were down 10% last year (271 to 243). The largest share of what is recorded in Melbourne is property and deception offences (44% of incidents). Compare it with a neighbouring suburb using the suburb safety check.
Melbourne crime, 2017–2026
Recorded incidents in Melbourne are 31% lower than a decade ago (351 in the year to March 2017 vs 243 now). Counts are total recorded criminal incidents in Melbourne 3052, year ending March. Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria.
What kind of crime happens in Melbourne?
| Offence category | Incidents | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Property and deception offences | 106 | 44% |
| Crimes against the person | 69 | 28% |
| Public order and security offences | 37 | 15% |
| Justice procedures offences | 19 | 8% |
| Drug offences | 12 | 5% |
Most recorded offences, year to March 2026
| Offence | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| Other theft | 42 | |
| Non-FV Common assault | 23 | |
| Other crimes against the person | 22 | |
| Theft of a bicycle | 16 | |
| Criminal damage | 14 | |
| Prohibited and controlled weapons offences | 12 |
Recent reports near Melbourne
The teacher claimed the attack came amidst a ‘catastrophic mental health crisis’.
↗ 7NEWS‘It is completely unacceptable that those people who spend their lives caring for others continue to face violence.’
↗ 7NEWSThe French woman who is in Australia on a working holiday was left bloodied and with a chipped tooth after the plates hit her in the face.
↗ 7NEWSThe actor has fronted a Melbourne court, charged over grabbing a security guard in a compromising spot.
↗ 7NEWSAggregated from public news feeds with attribution. Not every incident is reported. Call 000 in an emergency.
Put Melbourne 3052 on the patrol map
Melbourne households are pledging street by street. No card, no charge: a pledge is your household saying it wants a licensed dusk-to-dawn patrol here. The first suburbs to fill up get the car.
Get the free app in Melbourne
Panic switch that rings four contacts with your live location, verified incident alerts near home, and a calm morning brief for your suburb. Free on the App Store.
How Vigil Guard protects a home in Melbourne
Panic
Hold the button and it alerts your four contacts and your street with your live location. You call 000 yourself in a life-threatening emergency.
Lookout
One tap flags suspicious behaviour to your street. Three confirmed flags trigger a cluster alert. Behaviour only, never appearance.
Patrol
A licensed operator runs a logged slow-pass dusk to dawn once a street fills.Begins once licensed
Nearby areas in Melbourne
Free safety tools
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria, Year ending March 2026. Council-area rates are per 100,000 residents. This report is for general information and is not a substitute for emergency services. In an emergency, call 000.