The latest crime statistics paint a worrying picture for Cardinia, with 6,828 criminal incidents recorded for the year ending March 2025—a sharp 32.4 per cent jump from 5,158 the previous year.
Acting Deputy Commissioner Regional Operations, David Clayton said crime levels in Melbourne are unacceptably high, driven by population growth and increasing economic pressures.
“Victoria Police finds this level of crime unacceptable, as no doubt does the community.The reality is it will take time for crime in Victoria to return to the lower levels that we’re used to seeing,” he said.
“However, every member of Victoria Police will continue to work tirelessly to reduce crime. This occurred in a reporting period where our officers are holding a record number of offenders to account. 25,917 people were arrested for a total of 75,968 offences.
“That’s 208 arrests every day. This is the most arrests since the electronic records began in 1993, and most likely in the state’s history.”
In Cardinia Shire, stealing from motor vehicles topped offence categories, nearly doubling to 1,149 from 589. Theft rose to 598 incidents, breaches of family violence orders increased to 579, criminal damage climbed to 533, and stealing from retail stores reached 428.
The local criminal incident rate stood at 5,083.1 per 100,000 people, which is still lower than the Victorian average of 6,692.2.
Houses remained the most common location for criminal incidents with 2,210 reported, up from 1,962 last year.
Streets, lanes, and footpaths also saw a sharp rise to 1,039 incidents from 673. Other locations experiencing notable rises included driveways and carports (384 incidents), service stations (338), and other retail venues (234), all up from the year before.
For suburb Emerald, there were 185 criminal incidents in 2025. For the previous year there were 125.
Pakenham led the region with 3,782 (up from 2,999), followed by Officer with 1,169 incidents (up from 783).
Beaconsfield saw a decrease to 422 incidents from 783. Emerald’s incidents rose to 185 from 125, and Kooweerup increased slightly to 216 from 182.
People aged 30-34 made up the largest group of alleged offenders in Cardinia, with 522 incidents recorded.
Teenagers were not far behind, with 505 alleged offenders aged 10-17, followed by 493 in the 18-24 age group.
The figures gradually declined with age, showing 416 incidents among 25-29 years, 399 among those aged 35-39, and 310 for the 40-44 age group.
Family violence incidents in Cardinia have surged nearly 18.9 per cent, with police recording 1,985 cases in 2025 compared with the previous year, with 1,669 incidents.
Despite the spike, Cardinia’s family violence rate of 1,477.7 per 100,000 people remains slightly below the state average of 1,497.1.
The data also reflects an ongoing trend of men being more frequently identified as the perpetrators, with 1,488 males involved compared to 495 females.
With community concerns rising over the growing trend of car thefts, Clayton stressed that crime prevention—making it harder to steal cars and diverting at-risk individuals—is essential.
While legislative changes may help in the short term, broader efforts like education, employment, and support services are vital for lasting impact.
Clayton also emphasized that repeat and serious offenders must be held accountable, with early intervention and comprehensive support key to preventing reoffending.
Leader of the Opposition, Brad Battin said the data proves what Victorians already know.
“This is evidence that what Labor is doing is not working – community safety is clearly not their priority and Victorians are suffering,” he said.
“We’re now in a position where people do not feel safe in the one place they should – their home.”
Shadow Minister for Police, David Southwick said “today’s figures are deeply concerning, but they only scratch the surface. With Victoria Police critically underfunded and understaffed, countless crimes are going unreported and undetected.”
