Crime in Victoria has risen 4.6 per cent in the past year, pushed by a jump in stalking, acts endangering people, drugs and weapons offences and breaches of orders.
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Criminal offending data for the year ending June 2015 was released by the Victoria's new Crime Statistics Agency on Thursday.
Over the past five years the number of offences recorded in Victoria has continued to grow steadily with an average annual increase of 5.6 per cent, the CSA reports.
In the past year some of the largest increases related to the illicit drug trade. Drug use and possession was up 22 per cent, while drug dealing and trafficking increased more than 20 per cent.
Stalking, harassment and threatening behaviour offences were up more than 12 per cent, weapons and explosives offences had risen 12 per cent, while breaches of orders soared almost 40 per cent to 50,888 from 36,496 the previous year.
The only major offence categories that showed a significant decrease were disorderly and offensive conduct, which had dropped 9.9 per cent and other government regulatory offences, which decreased by more than 40 per cent.
Melbourne had the highest offence rate for its population, followed by Latrobe, Yarra, Horsham and Greater Shepparton.
More to come
