Canterbury sits in the Boroondara council area, which records 4,538 offences per 100,000 residents, below 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 Canterbury safe?
By the numbers, crime in Boroondara, the council area covering Canterbury, is lower than most of Victoria: 4,538 offences per 100,000 residents against a state average of 6,174, ranked 60 of 80 council areas. Recorded incidents in Canterbury itself were up 14% last year (222 to 254). The largest share of what is recorded in Canterbury is property and deception offences (81% of incidents). Compare it with a neighbouring suburb using the suburb safety check.
Canterbury crime, 2017–2026
Recorded incidents in Canterbury are 1% higher than a decade ago (251 in the year to March 2017 vs 254 now). Counts are total recorded criminal incidents in Canterbury 3126, year ending March. Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria.
What kind of crime happens in Canterbury?
| Offence category | Incidents | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Property and deception offences | 207 | 81% |
| Crimes against the person | 22 | 9% |
| Justice procedures offences | 11 | 4% |
| Public order and security offences | 8 | 3% |
| Drug offences | 6 | 2% |
Most recorded offences, year to March 2026
| Offence | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| Steal from a motor vehicle | 68 | |
| Residential non-aggravated burglary | 44 | |
| Residential aggravated burglary | 20 | |
| Motor vehicle theft | 16 | |
| Obtain benefit by deception | 16 | |
| Criminal damage | 14 |
Recent reports near Canterbury
No recent news incidents are logged for Canterbury right now. We track reports across Victoria on the live Crime Watch.
Put Canterbury 3126 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 Canterbury
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 Canterbury
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 Boroondara
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.