South Melbourne crime statistics
3,561 recorded incidents in 2025–26
Total recorded criminal incidents rose 14.4% versus 2024–25 (3,113 incidents), across all 6 offence categories recorded since 2016–17.
≈ 308 incidents per 1,000 residents (2021 population 11,548).
Property offences
Residential burglary
138
in 2025–26 · 5-yr avg 121
Motor vehicle theft
178
in 2025–26 · 5-yr avg 140
Steal from motor vehicle
649
in 2025–26 · 5-yr avg 428
Criminal damage
217
in 2025–26 · 5-yr avg 176
All offence categories
Recorded incidents in South Melbourne by BOCSAR offence category.
| Offence category | 2025–26 | 2024–25 | 5-yr avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| B Property and deception offences | 2,489 | 2,247 | 1,904 |
| A Crimes against the person | 434 | 363 | 339 |
| E Justice procedures offences | 294 | 206 | 254 |
| D Public order and security offences | 174 | 137 | 132 |
| C Drug offences | 157 | 153 | 153 |
| F Other offences | 13 | 7 | 11 |
South Melbourne at a glance
Full suburb profile →Population (2021)
11,548
Socio-economic advantage
Decile 10/10
in VIC (SEIFA 2021)
Current median rent
$650/wk
year to Sep 2025
Household income
$2,101/wk
median, 2021
Sources: ABS Census 2021 & SEIFA 2021 (CC BY 4.0); current rents from official state bond/rent data (CC BY).
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Recorded criminal incidents for the whole suburb — raw counts (the approximate per-1,000-resident rate uses the 2021 Census population, which may lag actual growth), so larger suburbs naturally record more, and small-area counts fluctuate year to year. Years shown end 31 March; figures for same-named localities in different regions may be combined. Context, not a verdict; we publish no suburb rankings. Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria open data (CC BY), data to Mar 2026. Figures may be revised by the source agency.