CRIME across the Mornington Peninsula has begun to ease for the first time in five years, according to newly released figures from the Crime Statistics Agency.
There were 12,194 criminal offences recorded in the Mornington Peninsula LGA in the year ending December 2025, down from 12,726 offences in the previous year, a drop of 4.2 per cent.
Mornington was the peninsula suburb most affected by crime, followed closely by Rosebud and Hastings.
The data shows crime dropped across some of the highest recorded offences including breach family violence order, steal from motor vehicle, criminal damage and other theft.
However, steal from retail store went up 20.6 per cent with 905 incidents recorded, while family violence serious assaults went up 29 per cent with 196 incidents.
There were slight decreases in residential aggravated burglaries (186 incidents), residential non-aggravated burglaries (four incidents), and criminal damage (812 incidents).
Motor vehicle thefts went up slightly from 569 incidents to 577 incidents.
Data also showed of 5187 offences being investigated; 42.5 per cent of all offences recorded on the peninsula, remained unsolved.
In neighbouring Frankston, total offences went down 0.5 per cent from 17,386 to 17,293 incidents. The area saw a 11.7 increase in steal from motor vehicle, and a 30 per cent increase in breach bail conditions.
Statewide, criminal offences have continued to rise with 30,592 criminal offences recorded in Victoria last year, an increase of or 4.2 per cent.
Victoria Police said overall crime was “starting to stabilise” after several years of sharp increases.
Car theft reached its highest level since 2001, with more than 32,000 cars stolen last year. Key cloning devices were common in stealing Holden Commodores, Toyotas (Land Cruiser, Corolla, Hilux, Rav4) and Subaru Imprezas.
Child offending has accounted for 57.6 per cent of carjackings, 52.6 per cent of home invasions, 47.8 per cent of aggravated burglaries and 62.4 per cent of robberies.
Victoria Police deputy commissioner regional operations Bob Hill said , “While it’s heartening that crime appears to be stabilising, it will take time before offending reduces to levels more traditionally seen in Victoria”.
“With 230,213 different victims of crime, we are seeing far too many innocent community members harmed.
“Our officers are remarkably efficient at holding prolific and dangerous offenders accountable, with thousands of youth gang arrests, record knife seizures, and family violence offenders locked up every half hour.”
Mornington MP Chris Crewther said it was concerning that criminal incidents on the peninsula had seen increases in serious assaults (up 21 per cent), assault emergency services workers (up 19 per cent) including a September paramedic incident in Mornington, and aggravated robbery (up 23 per cent).
“Concerningly, 286,329 crimes across Victoria now remain unsolved, a 15 per cent increase over the past year, not helped by 1500 police vacancies – and more than 40 stations including Mornington closed or operating on reduced reception hours under this state Labor government,” he said.
“Labor has been weak on crime and have totally mismanaged supporting our police over their last 12 years in a row of government.”
First published in the Mornington News – 24 March 2026
