CRIME on the Mornington Peninsula rose by 10.6 percent in the 2024/25 financial year, newly released figures from the Crime Statistics Agency reveal.
There were 9,333 criminal incidents recorded in the Mornington Peninsula LGA in the year ending June 2025. That figure equates to 5425 criminal incidents per 100,000 population.
Mornington was the peninsula suburb most affected by crime, followed closely by Rosebud and Hastings. Dromana and Somerville rounded out the top five.
Stealing from a motor vehicle was the most common offence, with 1313 incidents recorded. There were 864 reported incidents of other theft, 749 incidents of breaching family violence orders, and 720 reported incidents of residential non-aggravated burglary.
Crime in the neighbouring Frankston Local Government Area rose by more than 18 percent, climbing to its highest level in a decade. There were 13,754 criminal incidents recorded in the Frankston LGA in the year ending June 2025; an 18.8 percent increase on the year prior.
Criminal incidents recorded in the suburb of Frankston rose by more than 1000, up to 7219. Houses were the most frequently targeted location types, and stealing from a motor vehicle was the most common offence.
Statewide there were 638,640 criminal offences recorded in Victoria in the year ending June 2025, an increase of 15.7 percent. Children accounted for 12.8 percent of all offenders processed.
Victoria Police deputy commissioner regional operations Bob Hill said “as a society, we simply cannot allow the level of crime we are seeing to become normalised and accepted – every Victorian deserves to feel safe in their home, within the community and on the roads.”
“Victoria Police is tackling these issues head on. Our members are doing exceptional work to resolve these crimes. But it must be said – the number of arrests we are seeing reflects an unacceptable level of offending,” he said. “We will continue to make arrests and hold offenders to account, but we need to prevent and deter crime to reduce offending so that there are fewer victims in Victoria.
“Right now we are working on new approaches that will deter repeat offenders and help stop these crimes before they can occur. This includes a focus on how we can get more police out on the streets. We will continue to work with government and our partners on developing strategies and solutions for preventing and responding to crime in Victoria.
“Victoria Police has set an ambitious target of reducing serious and violent crime by five per cent each year. There is no doubt this will be a challenge, but it is a fight we are up for to ensure our community remains as safe as possible.”
First published in the Mornington News – 30 September 2025
