Surge in Teen Crime: Victoria Records Highest Weekly Offence Rate Since 2009

Teens in Victoria commit 360 crimes weekly, the highest since 2009, with police concered about a tendency to target unlocked doors and windows in pursuit of social media fame.  Teens aged 14 to 17 committed 18,729 crimes last year, a 29.4 percent jump from 2022. They were more often involved in serious crimes more than once, including assaults (3,823, up 531), burglaries (2,221, up 788), car thefts (1,703, up 588), and robberies (1,652, up 696). Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said police were focused on young people as major perpetrators of aggravated burglaries after 5,900 teens admitted to roaming streets until they found an unlocked door or window. “They’re sneaking in, stealing keys [from] generally unlocked premises, and then they take the car,” he said....