PUBLIC order offences such as drunkenness and disorderly behaviour plummeted last year across Victoria, while nationwide the number of offenders fell to the lowest level in 12 years, according to the latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
However, a new category of crime, COVID-19 related offences, boomed in Victoria.
Australia-wide, of the 10,045 offenders proceeded against for at least one COVID-19 related offence during 2019–20, Victorians accounted for 54 percent – or 5,457 – of those.
In Victoria:
There were 74,189 offenders proceeded against by police in Victoria during 2019–20, a decrease of 2 percent from the previous year.
Principal offence type
Just under a quarter (23 percent) of offenders had a principal offence of acts intended to cause injury, mainly assault. This was the most common principal offence for Victorian offenders in 2019–20.
Offenders with a principal offence of:
• Public order offences fell by 31 percent. Public order offences relate to personal conduct that involves, or may lead to, a breach of public order or decency. This includes offences such as public drunkenness, disorderly behaviour in a public place and drinking alcohol in alcohol free zones.
• Miscellaneous offences surged by 24 percent, largely due to fines being issued for COVID-19 related offences
• Illicit drug offences were up 6 percent
Gender
• 78 percent of offenders proceeded against were male.
Youth offenders
• Offenders aged between 10 and 17 years comprised 11 percent of total offenders proceeded against by police in Victoria in 2019–20.
• There was little difference in the rate of offending amongst youth when compared with the total Victorian offender population: (1,273 youth offenders per 100,000 persons compared to 1,272 total offenders per 100,000 persons)
