One in five Victorians do not feel safe in their own home, while a third feel less safe than they did 12 months ago, according to new research from the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV).
The latest RACV Home Safety Pulse data revealed a heightened sense of unease across the state, fuelled by concerns over local crime.
Of those who reported feeling felt less safe than last year, a staggering 94 percent blamed increasing crime rates.
The data also suggests that secondary exposure is a major factor: 32 percent of respondents linked their anxiety to a neighbour’s experience with crime, while 14 percent cited their own personal experience.
“Home should be a place where people feel secure and at ease, but this research shows that for many Victorians, that sense of safety is being eroded,” Carey added.
“Importantly, perceptions of safety are shaped by what people see happening around them and the broader public conversation.”
A Statistical Disconnect?
While official data from Victoria’s Crime Statistic Agency shows that home burglary offences dropped by 7 percent in the most recent period, Carey warned against complacency.
“Home burglary rates are still higher than they were two years ago,” she noted.
Furthermore, the general crime trend remains upward.
Victoria Police reported 473,262 criminal incidents, while alleged offender incidents rose by 12.9 percent.
Crime Hotspots by the Numbers
The perception of rising crime is most acute in high-density and regional hubs.
According to the Crime Statistic Agency, the highest criminal incident rates per 100,000 residents were recorded in Melbourne, at 17,671.9 incidents (approximately 1 in 6 people).
Latrobe followed at 12,857.5 incidents, while Yarra recorded 12,460.7 incidents.
