Victoria set to usher in ‘toughest bail laws ever’ in main crime crackdown | USAEMALL.com

Jail will no longer be treated as a last resort for youth offenders in a proposed bail crackdown following a spike in crime across Victoria.

Crime data has revealed recorded offences in the state rose from 510,226 to 578,762 (13 per cent) between 2023 and 2024 across the state, while the total number of residential aggravated burglaries recorded rose from 5,587 to 6,927 (24 per cent) across the same period.

The number of aggravated robberies also rose by 27 per cent from 671 to 850 between 2023 and 2024, while knife crime has long been flagged as a major issue across the state.

However the state’s prison rates have declined by eight per cent within that same period, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The Victorian government is expected to announce a crackdown on bail access and a ban on machetes on Wednesday, as part of a suite of new measures to address the increase in crime.

The harsher bail laws would apply to both adults and youths charged with serious crimes, including carjacking and home invasions.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan described it as the “toughest bail laws ever”, according to the ABC.

“Our tough bail laws will jolt the system, putting community safety above all, creating the toughest bail laws ever, and ensuring bail rules are respected,” Ms Allan said.

The new measures would also once again make it a crime to commit indictable offences while on bail, and introduce a test under which bail cannot be granted to someone already on bail for a similar serious offence, unless proven there’s a high chance they won’t reoffend, the ABC reported.

Breaching bail conditions will also again become an offence under the new measures.

Custody will also no longer be a “last resort” for youth offenders, with Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny saying the laws were “targeted squarely at the risks of young people committing serious crimes while out on bail”, according to the national broadcaster.