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SBS Australia
23-06-2025
- SBS Australia
Victoria records highest number of arrests in 172 years as crime rate soars
627,268 criminal offences were recorded in Victoria in the 12 months to the end of March 2025 — an increase of 91,692 offences compared to the previous year. Victoria Police says officers have removed an average of 44 blades from the hands of offenders every day this year. Youth crime remains at its highest level since electronic records began in 1993. "I woke up shocked when I received a call from Victoria Police in the middle of the night telling me that my cars had been stolen and they were coming to my house," recalls Sanjeev, a resident of Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs. Sanjeev, an Indian-origin man, says the break-in—which occurred while his wife and two children were asleep—left his children traumatised. Following the incident, the family eventually sold their home. However, this is not an isolated case. Aggravated residential burglaries are 'at a historic high' in Victoria, according to the latest data revealed by the Crime Statistics Agency (CSA). Overall, crimes in Victoria have increased by 17.1 per cent in the past 12 months up to March 2025, the data has revealed. One of the fastest-growing offence types was motor vehicle theft, with 31,551 offences recorded—an increase of 47.1 per cent compared to the previous year. While the CSA does not report specific data on knife-related crimes, Victoria Police says knife crime remains "an ongoing concern". 'Knife crime is another area of intense focus for Victoria Police, with officers removing an average of 44 blades from the hands of criminals every day this year," Acting Deputy Commissioner Regional Operations David Clayton said in an official statement . Child crime—defined as offences committed by individuals aged 10 to 17—remains at its highest level since electronic records began. Data report by CSA The Victorian Labor government has announced a series of measures to address the surge in crime. However, the state opposition argues these steps are insufficient and more action is needed. Listen to a full report on this via this podcast: SBS Punjabi 23/06/2025 10:28 🔊 Find all our podcasts and stories that matter here at SBS Punjabi Podcast Collection. 💻 For news, information and interviews in Punjabi from across Australia and the homeland, you can tune in to SBS Punjabi live from Monday to Friday at 4pm on SBS South Asian on digital radio, on channel 305 on your television, via the SBS Audio app or stream from our website . 📲 Also, follow us on Facebook and Instagram .
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Yahoo
Crime hits record high as youth violence soars
Criminal incidents have soared to a record high in one state, with youth over-represented in violent attacks and cost-of-living linked crimes the fastest growing type of offence. Offences in Victoria soared by 15.2 per cent in the 12 months to the end of March, when adjusted for population. The were 627,268 offences recorded, while criminal incidents jumped to 474,927, up 18.1 per cent, the highest number since the Crime Statistics Agency started recording data two decades ago. There was also a record number of family violence incidents, which were up 10.7 per cent to 106,247. Child crime was at its highest level since 1993, when electronic records started, with 3,300 of what Victoria Police described as the "worst youth offenders" arrested. Those aged from 10-17 represented just 13.1 per cent of all offenders, but police said they were over-represented in violent and serious crimes, including robberies and aggravated burglaries. Property crimes were the fastest growing type of offence, which the force attributed to "difficult economic times". They include motor vehicle theft (up 47.1 per cent), theft from a motor vehicle (up 39.3 per cent), retail theft (up 38.6 per cent) and other theft (up 20.5 per cent). Arrests jumped 23 per cent in the last decade, while some 25,917 people were arrested a combined 75,968 times in the last 12 months. The data released on Thursday was recorded before the Victorian government introduced harsher bail laws. Police Minister Anthony Carbines said justice department data showed the number of youths being held on remand had doubled since that legislation came into effect in late March. Adults being held on remand have also jumped by 31 per cent. Mr Carbines said soaring crime figures were being driven by repeat offenders, but the results were unacceptable. "We'll start to see those tougher bail laws have an effect on some of our crime statistics and crime indicators in future quarters," he said. Another round of bail reforms are expected to hit the floor of parliament in late July after the winter break. Victoria Police acting Deputy Commissioner David Clayton said there was no doubt crime was higher than what the community and police would like it to be. "We know the community has strong concerns around young offenders breaking into homes to steal cars, which are then driven at high speeds on our roads," he said. "This offending has led to catastrophic consequences in the past year, with stolen cars involved in more than 760 crashes and six people losing their lives. He said knife crime was another area of focus, with some 44 blades removed from the streets each day. The release of the figures came a day after shoppers were forced to take cover at Melbourne's Northland Shopping Centre as a Toyota Landcruiser four-wheel drive was seen being driven through the centre of the complex. No one was physically injured in the incident, which Victoria Police alleged occurred as the driver tried to evade officers in the stolen vehicle. A 27-year-old East Melbourne man was arrested early on Thursday.
The Advertiser
19-06-2025
- The Advertiser
Crime hits record high as youth violence soars
Criminal incidents have soared to a record high in one state, with youth over-represented in violent attacks and cost-of-living linked crimes the fastest growing type of offence. Offences in Victoria soared by 15.2 per cent in the 12 months to the end of March, when adjusted for population. The were 627,268 offences recorded, while criminal incidents jumped to 474,927, up 18.1 per cent, the highest number since the Crime Statistics Agency started recording data two decades ago. There was also a record number of family violence incidents, which were up 10.7 per cent to 106,247. Child crime was at its highest level since 1993, when electronic records started, with 3,300 of what Victoria Police described as the "worst youth offenders" arrested. Those aged from 10-17 represented just 13.1 per cent of all offenders, but police said they were over-represented in violent and serious crimes, including robberies and aggravated burglaries. Property crimes were the fastest growing type of offence, which the force attributed to "difficult economic times". They include motor vehicle theft (up 47.1 per cent), theft from a motor vehicle (up 39.3 per cent), retail theft (up 38.6 per cent) and other theft (up 20.5 per cent). Arrests jumped 23 per cent in the last decade, while some 25,917 people were arrested a combined 75,968 times in the last 12 months. The data released on Thursday was recorded before the Victorian government introduced harsher bail laws. Police Minister Anthony Carbines said justice department data showed the number of youths being held on remand had doubled since that legislation came into effect in late March. Adults being held on remand have also jumped by 31 per cent. Mr Carbines said soaring crime figures were being driven by repeat offenders, but the results were unacceptable. "We'll start to see those tougher bail laws have an effect on some of our crime statistics and crime indicators in future quarters," he said. Another round of bail reforms are expected to hit the floor of parliament in late July after the winter break. Victoria Police acting Deputy Commissioner David Clayton said there was no doubt crime was higher than what the community and police would like it to be. "We know the community has strong concerns around young offenders breaking into homes to steal cars, which are then driven at high speeds on our roads," he said. "This offending has led to catastrophic consequences in the past year, with stolen cars involved in more than 760 crashes and six people losing their lives. He said knife crime was another area of focus, with some 44 blades removed from the streets each day. The release of the figures came a day after shoppers were forced to take cover at Melbourne's Northland Shopping Centre as a Toyota Landcruiser four-wheel drive was seen being driven through the centre of the complex. No one was physically injured in the incident, which Victoria Police alleged occurred as the driver tried to evade officers in the stolen vehicle. A 27-year-old East Melbourne man was arrested early on Thursday. Criminal incidents have soared to a record high in one state, with youth over-represented in violent attacks and cost-of-living linked crimes the fastest growing type of offence. Offences in Victoria soared by 15.2 per cent in the 12 months to the end of March, when adjusted for population. The were 627,268 offences recorded, while criminal incidents jumped to 474,927, up 18.1 per cent, the highest number since the Crime Statistics Agency started recording data two decades ago. There was also a record number of family violence incidents, which were up 10.7 per cent to 106,247. Child crime was at its highest level since 1993, when electronic records started, with 3,300 of what Victoria Police described as the "worst youth offenders" arrested. Those aged from 10-17 represented just 13.1 per cent of all offenders, but police said they were over-represented in violent and serious crimes, including robberies and aggravated burglaries. Property crimes were the fastest growing type of offence, which the force attributed to "difficult economic times". They include motor vehicle theft (up 47.1 per cent), theft from a motor vehicle (up 39.3 per cent), retail theft (up 38.6 per cent) and other theft (up 20.5 per cent). Arrests jumped 23 per cent in the last decade, while some 25,917 people were arrested a combined 75,968 times in the last 12 months. The data released on Thursday was recorded before the Victorian government introduced harsher bail laws. Police Minister Anthony Carbines said justice department data showed the number of youths being held on remand had doubled since that legislation came into effect in late March. Adults being held on remand have also jumped by 31 per cent. Mr Carbines said soaring crime figures were being driven by repeat offenders, but the results were unacceptable. "We'll start to see those tougher bail laws have an effect on some of our crime statistics and crime indicators in future quarters," he said. Another round of bail reforms are expected to hit the floor of parliament in late July after the winter break. Victoria Police acting Deputy Commissioner David Clayton said there was no doubt crime was higher than what the community and police would like it to be. "We know the community has strong concerns around young offenders breaking into homes to steal cars, which are then driven at high speeds on our roads," he said. "This offending has led to catastrophic consequences in the past year, with stolen cars involved in more than 760 crashes and six people losing their lives. He said knife crime was another area of focus, with some 44 blades removed from the streets each day. The release of the figures came a day after shoppers were forced to take cover at Melbourne's Northland Shopping Centre as a Toyota Landcruiser four-wheel drive was seen being driven through the centre of the complex. No one was physically injured in the incident, which Victoria Police alleged occurred as the driver tried to evade officers in the stolen vehicle. A 27-year-old East Melbourne man was arrested early on Thursday. Criminal incidents have soared to a record high in one state, with youth over-represented in violent attacks and cost-of-living linked crimes the fastest growing type of offence. Offences in Victoria soared by 15.2 per cent in the 12 months to the end of March, when adjusted for population. The were 627,268 offences recorded, while criminal incidents jumped to 474,927, up 18.1 per cent, the highest number since the Crime Statistics Agency started recording data two decades ago. There was also a record number of family violence incidents, which were up 10.7 per cent to 106,247. Child crime was at its highest level since 1993, when electronic records started, with 3,300 of what Victoria Police described as the "worst youth offenders" arrested. Those aged from 10-17 represented just 13.1 per cent of all offenders, but police said they were over-represented in violent and serious crimes, including robberies and aggravated burglaries. Property crimes were the fastest growing type of offence, which the force attributed to "difficult economic times". They include motor vehicle theft (up 47.1 per cent), theft from a motor vehicle (up 39.3 per cent), retail theft (up 38.6 per cent) and other theft (up 20.5 per cent). Arrests jumped 23 per cent in the last decade, while some 25,917 people were arrested a combined 75,968 times in the last 12 months. The data released on Thursday was recorded before the Victorian government introduced harsher bail laws. Police Minister Anthony Carbines said justice department data showed the number of youths being held on remand had doubled since that legislation came into effect in late March. Adults being held on remand have also jumped by 31 per cent. Mr Carbines said soaring crime figures were being driven by repeat offenders, but the results were unacceptable. "We'll start to see those tougher bail laws have an effect on some of our crime statistics and crime indicators in future quarters," he said. Another round of bail reforms are expected to hit the floor of parliament in late July after the winter break. Victoria Police acting Deputy Commissioner David Clayton said there was no doubt crime was higher than what the community and police would like it to be. "We know the community has strong concerns around young offenders breaking into homes to steal cars, which are then driven at high speeds on our roads," he said. "This offending has led to catastrophic consequences in the past year, with stolen cars involved in more than 760 crashes and six people losing their lives. He said knife crime was another area of focus, with some 44 blades removed from the streets each day. The release of the figures came a day after shoppers were forced to take cover at Melbourne's Northland Shopping Centre as a Toyota Landcruiser four-wheel drive was seen being driven through the centre of the complex. No one was physically injured in the incident, which Victoria Police alleged occurred as the driver tried to evade officers in the stolen vehicle. A 27-year-old East Melbourne man was arrested early on Thursday. Criminal incidents have soared to a record high in one state, with youth over-represented in violent attacks and cost-of-living linked crimes the fastest growing type of offence. Offences in Victoria soared by 15.2 per cent in the 12 months to the end of March, when adjusted for population. The were 627,268 offences recorded, while criminal incidents jumped to 474,927, up 18.1 per cent, the highest number since the Crime Statistics Agency started recording data two decades ago. There was also a record number of family violence incidents, which were up 10.7 per cent to 106,247. Child crime was at its highest level since 1993, when electronic records started, with 3,300 of what Victoria Police described as the "worst youth offenders" arrested. Those aged from 10-17 represented just 13.1 per cent of all offenders, but police said they were over-represented in violent and serious crimes, including robberies and aggravated burglaries. Property crimes were the fastest growing type of offence, which the force attributed to "difficult economic times". They include motor vehicle theft (up 47.1 per cent), theft from a motor vehicle (up 39.3 per cent), retail theft (up 38.6 per cent) and other theft (up 20.5 per cent). Arrests jumped 23 per cent in the last decade, while some 25,917 people were arrested a combined 75,968 times in the last 12 months. The data released on Thursday was recorded before the Victorian government introduced harsher bail laws. Police Minister Anthony Carbines said justice department data showed the number of youths being held on remand had doubled since that legislation came into effect in late March. Adults being held on remand have also jumped by 31 per cent. Mr Carbines said soaring crime figures were being driven by repeat offenders, but the results were unacceptable. "We'll start to see those tougher bail laws have an effect on some of our crime statistics and crime indicators in future quarters," he said. Another round of bail reforms are expected to hit the floor of parliament in late July after the winter break. Victoria Police acting Deputy Commissioner David Clayton said there was no doubt crime was higher than what the community and police would like it to be. "We know the community has strong concerns around young offenders breaking into homes to steal cars, which are then driven at high speeds on our roads," he said. "This offending has led to catastrophic consequences in the past year, with stolen cars involved in more than 760 crashes and six people losing their lives. He said knife crime was another area of focus, with some 44 blades removed from the streets each day. The release of the figures came a day after shoppers were forced to take cover at Melbourne's Northland Shopping Centre as a Toyota Landcruiser four-wheel drive was seen being driven through the centre of the complex. No one was physically injured in the incident, which Victoria Police alleged occurred as the driver tried to evade officers in the stolen vehicle. A 27-year-old East Melbourne man was arrested early on Thursday.
Perth Now
19-06-2025
- Perth Now
Crime hits record high as youth violence soars
Criminal incidents have soared to a record high in one state, with youth over-represented in violent attacks and cost-of-living linked crimes the fastest growing type of offence. Offences in Victoria soared by 15.2 per cent in the 12 months to the end of March, when adjusted for population. The were 627,268 offences recorded, while criminal incidents jumped to 474,927, up 18.1 per cent, the highest number since the Crime Statistics Agency started recording data two decades ago. There was also a record number of family violence incidents, which were up 10.7 per cent to 106,247. Child crime was at its highest level since 1993, when electronic records started, with 3,300 of what Victoria Police described as the "worst youth offenders" arrested. Those aged from 10-17 represented just 13.1 per cent of all offenders, but police said they were over-represented in violent and serious crimes, including robberies and aggravated burglaries. Property crimes were the fastest growing type of offence, which the force attributed to "difficult economic times". They include motor vehicle theft (up 47.1 per cent), theft from a motor vehicle (up 39.3 per cent), retail theft (up 38.6 per cent) and other theft (up 20.5 per cent). Arrests jumped 23 per cent in the last decade, while some 25,917 people were arrested a combined 75,968 times in the last 12 months. The data released on Thursday was recorded before the Victorian government introduced harsher bail laws. Police Minister Anthony Carbines said justice department data showed the number of youths being held on remand had doubled since that legislation came into effect in late March. Adults being held on remand have also jumped by 31 per cent. Mr Carbines said soaring crime figures were being driven by repeat offenders, but the results were unacceptable. "We'll start to see those tougher bail laws have an effect on some of our crime statistics and crime indicators in future quarters," he said. Another round of bail reforms are expected to hit the floor of parliament in late July after the winter break. Victoria Police acting Deputy Commissioner David Clayton said there was no doubt crime was higher than what the community and police would like it to be. "We know the community has strong concerns around young offenders breaking into homes to steal cars, which are then driven at high speeds on our roads," he said. "This offending has led to catastrophic consequences in the past year, with stolen cars involved in more than 760 crashes and six people losing their lives. He said knife crime was another area of focus, with some 44 blades removed from the streets each day. The release of the figures came a day after shoppers were forced to take cover at Melbourne's Northland Shopping Centre as a Toyota Landcruiser four-wheel drive was seen being driven through the centre of the complex. No one was physically injured in the incident, which Victoria Police alleged occurred as the driver tried to evade officers in the stolen vehicle. A 27-year-old East Melbourne man was arrested early on Thursday.
The Advertiser
26-05-2025
- The Advertiser
Machete ban brought forward following wild brawl
Large and dangerous blades will be removed from shop shelves in days in an Australian-first ban, sparked by a violent brawl forcing the lockdown of a busy shopping centre. Shoppers were left terrified by a violent melee between rival gang members armed with machetes at Northland Shopping Centre in Melbourne's north. Two boys, aged 15 and 16, have been charged while another man, 20, was rushed to hospital following the altercation on Sunday afternoon. On Monday, Premier Jacinta Allan announced the laws, which bans the sale of machetes across Victoria, will take effect from noon on May 28. "In Victoria, community safety comes first. We must never let places we meet become places we fear," Ms Allan told reporters. "I hate these knives, and I will keep introducing as many laws as it takes to get them off our streets, out of our shops and out of our lives."" The interim sale ban will cover machetes, which are broadly described as a cutting edge knife with a blade of more than 20 centimetres. The purpose of the interim sale ban is to stop the supply of the items, before a possession ban comes into effect on September 1. There will be no exemptions to allow the sale of machetes during the interim sales ban. It is a total ban on sales. Retailers are advised to store excess stock in a safe location until the disposal, amnesty and exemption schemes for banned machetes starts alongside the prohibition coming into force in September. The laws were rushed initially through parliament after Crime Statistics Agency figures showed there were 24,550 offences committed by children aged 10 to 17 in Victoria in 2024, the highest number since electronic records started being collected in 1993. They were expected to take effect from September 1, giving police time to prepare for the changes, according to Ms Allan. The laws include expanded police search powers for weapons. There were about 18 aggravated burglaries on average recorded each day across the state in 2024 and car thefts spiked by 41.2 per cent to their highest level since 2002. Harsher bail laws to respond to surging youth crime, aggravated burglaries and car thefts came into effect in April after being rushed through Victorian parliament by the Allan Labor government. The teenagers involved in Sunday's brawl were charged with affray, intentionally cause injury, possess controlled weapon and use controlled weapon, and they have been remanded to appear in a children's court at a later date. Superintendent Kelly Lawson confirmed the attack was not random, saying rival gangs had arranged a meeting at the centre's food court before the fight erupted. "It is said to have been an act of retaliation," she told reporters outside the shopping centre on Sunday. Police believe about 10 people were involved, some armed with knives. There were no firearms involved. "It was a chaotic scene," Supt Lawson added. "It's really frightening for members of the public to go through this." The centre was locked down during the incident as dozens of police officers responded and shoppers shared updates on social media. The man taken to hospital is in a stable condition. Two other males have since self-presented to hospital with injuries. Supt Lawson said it would not take long to identify all the gang members involved. Large and dangerous blades will be removed from shop shelves in days in an Australian-first ban, sparked by a violent brawl forcing the lockdown of a busy shopping centre. Shoppers were left terrified by a violent melee between rival gang members armed with machetes at Northland Shopping Centre in Melbourne's north. Two boys, aged 15 and 16, have been charged while another man, 20, was rushed to hospital following the altercation on Sunday afternoon. On Monday, Premier Jacinta Allan announced the laws, which bans the sale of machetes across Victoria, will take effect from noon on May 28. "In Victoria, community safety comes first. We must never let places we meet become places we fear," Ms Allan told reporters. "I hate these knives, and I will keep introducing as many laws as it takes to get them off our streets, out of our shops and out of our lives."" The interim sale ban will cover machetes, which are broadly described as a cutting edge knife with a blade of more than 20 centimetres. The purpose of the interim sale ban is to stop the supply of the items, before a possession ban comes into effect on September 1. There will be no exemptions to allow the sale of machetes during the interim sales ban. It is a total ban on sales. Retailers are advised to store excess stock in a safe location until the disposal, amnesty and exemption schemes for banned machetes starts alongside the prohibition coming into force in September. The laws were rushed initially through parliament after Crime Statistics Agency figures showed there were 24,550 offences committed by children aged 10 to 17 in Victoria in 2024, the highest number since electronic records started being collected in 1993. They were expected to take effect from September 1, giving police time to prepare for the changes, according to Ms Allan. The laws include expanded police search powers for weapons. There were about 18 aggravated burglaries on average recorded each day across the state in 2024 and car thefts spiked by 41.2 per cent to their highest level since 2002. Harsher bail laws to respond to surging youth crime, aggravated burglaries and car thefts came into effect in April after being rushed through Victorian parliament by the Allan Labor government. The teenagers involved in Sunday's brawl were charged with affray, intentionally cause injury, possess controlled weapon and use controlled weapon, and they have been remanded to appear in a children's court at a later date. Superintendent Kelly Lawson confirmed the attack was not random, saying rival gangs had arranged a meeting at the centre's food court before the fight erupted. "It is said to have been an act of retaliation," she told reporters outside the shopping centre on Sunday. Police believe about 10 people were involved, some armed with knives. There were no firearms involved. "It was a chaotic scene," Supt Lawson added. "It's really frightening for members of the public to go through this." The centre was locked down during the incident as dozens of police officers responded and shoppers shared updates on social media. The man taken to hospital is in a stable condition. Two other males have since self-presented to hospital with injuries. Supt Lawson said it would not take long to identify all the gang members involved. Large and dangerous blades will be removed from shop shelves in days in an Australian-first ban, sparked by a violent brawl forcing the lockdown of a busy shopping centre. Shoppers were left terrified by a violent melee between rival gang members armed with machetes at Northland Shopping Centre in Melbourne's north. Two boys, aged 15 and 16, have been charged while another man, 20, was rushed to hospital following the altercation on Sunday afternoon. On Monday, Premier Jacinta Allan announced the laws, which bans the sale of machetes across Victoria, will take effect from noon on May 28. "In Victoria, community safety comes first. We must never let places we meet become places we fear," Ms Allan told reporters. "I hate these knives, and I will keep introducing as many laws as it takes to get them off our streets, out of our shops and out of our lives."" The interim sale ban will cover machetes, which are broadly described as a cutting edge knife with a blade of more than 20 centimetres. The purpose of the interim sale ban is to stop the supply of the items, before a possession ban comes into effect on September 1. There will be no exemptions to allow the sale of machetes during the interim sales ban. It is a total ban on sales. Retailers are advised to store excess stock in a safe location until the disposal, amnesty and exemption schemes for banned machetes starts alongside the prohibition coming into force in September. The laws were rushed initially through parliament after Crime Statistics Agency figures showed there were 24,550 offences committed by children aged 10 to 17 in Victoria in 2024, the highest number since electronic records started being collected in 1993. They were expected to take effect from September 1, giving police time to prepare for the changes, according to Ms Allan. The laws include expanded police search powers for weapons. There were about 18 aggravated burglaries on average recorded each day across the state in 2024 and car thefts spiked by 41.2 per cent to their highest level since 2002. Harsher bail laws to respond to surging youth crime, aggravated burglaries and car thefts came into effect in April after being rushed through Victorian parliament by the Allan Labor government. The teenagers involved in Sunday's brawl were charged with affray, intentionally cause injury, possess controlled weapon and use controlled weapon, and they have been remanded to appear in a children's court at a later date. Superintendent Kelly Lawson confirmed the attack was not random, saying rival gangs had arranged a meeting at the centre's food court before the fight erupted. "It is said to have been an act of retaliation," she told reporters outside the shopping centre on Sunday. Police believe about 10 people were involved, some armed with knives. There were no firearms involved. "It was a chaotic scene," Supt Lawson added. "It's really frightening for members of the public to go through this." The centre was locked down during the incident as dozens of police officers responded and shoppers shared updates on social media. The man taken to hospital is in a stable condition. Two other males have since self-presented to hospital with injuries. Supt Lawson said it would not take long to identify all the gang members involved. Large and dangerous blades will be removed from shop shelves in days in an Australian-first ban, sparked by a violent brawl forcing the lockdown of a busy shopping centre. Shoppers were left terrified by a violent melee between rival gang members armed with machetes at Northland Shopping Centre in Melbourne's north. Two boys, aged 15 and 16, have been charged while another man, 20, was rushed to hospital following the altercation on Sunday afternoon. On Monday, Premier Jacinta Allan announced the laws, which bans the sale of machetes across Victoria, will take effect from noon on May 28. "In Victoria, community safety comes first. We must never let places we meet become places we fear," Ms Allan told reporters. "I hate these knives, and I will keep introducing as many laws as it takes to get them off our streets, out of our shops and out of our lives."" The interim sale ban will cover machetes, which are broadly described as a cutting edge knife with a blade of more than 20 centimetres. The purpose of the interim sale ban is to stop the supply of the items, before a possession ban comes into effect on September 1. There will be no exemptions to allow the sale of machetes during the interim sales ban. It is a total ban on sales. Retailers are advised to store excess stock in a safe location until the disposal, amnesty and exemption schemes for banned machetes starts alongside the prohibition coming into force in September. The laws were rushed initially through parliament after Crime Statistics Agency figures showed there were 24,550 offences committed by children aged 10 to 17 in Victoria in 2024, the highest number since electronic records started being collected in 1993. They were expected to take effect from September 1, giving police time to prepare for the changes, according to Ms Allan. The laws include expanded police search powers for weapons. There were about 18 aggravated burglaries on average recorded each day across the state in 2024 and car thefts spiked by 41.2 per cent to their highest level since 2002. Harsher bail laws to respond to surging youth crime, aggravated burglaries and car thefts came into effect in April after being rushed through Victorian parliament by the Allan Labor government. The teenagers involved in Sunday's brawl were charged with affray, intentionally cause injury, possess controlled weapon and use controlled weapon, and they have been remanded to appear in a children's court at a later date. Superintendent Kelly Lawson confirmed the attack was not random, saying rival gangs had arranged a meeting at the centre's food court before the fight erupted. "It is said to have been an act of retaliation," she told reporters outside the shopping centre on Sunday. Police believe about 10 people were involved, some armed with knives. There were no firearms involved. "It was a chaotic scene," Supt Lawson added. "It's really frightening for members of the public to go through this." The centre was locked down during the incident as dozens of police officers responded and shoppers shared updates on social media. The man taken to hospital is in a stable condition. Two other males have since self-presented to hospital with injuries. Supt Lawson said it would not take long to identify all the gang members involved.
