Wangaratta streets are statistically safer after a six per cent drop in overall crime in the first quarter of 2026, but shoplifting and domestic violence offending continues to hit new peaks.

Within the Wangaratta LGA, overall offending in the 12 months to March 2026 saw a drop of 5.8 cent from 2994 total offences in 2025 to 2820 offences in 2026 according to the Crime Statistics Agency.

The rural city’s offence rate still sits slightly above the state average of offending per 100,000 people.

After spiking over the previous two years, drug possession offences were on the way down across Wangaratta from 256 cases in 2025 to 176 in 2026.

Recorded sexual offences saw a drop from 138 incidents to 82 incidents while assaults on emergency workers (down 46.5 per cent) and arson offences (down 71.4pc) were also trending in the right direction.

In growing offences, breach of bail conditions have almost doubled within Wangaratta over the past year, from 72 offences in 2025 to 139 offences in 2026.

Shoplifting and retail theft continued its multi-year upward trajectory rising 16.7pc to 196 offences.

Such incidents in Wangaratta have now nearly tripled since 2021 (68 offences).

Breaching of family violence orders also remains as the rural city’s top recorded offence and rose again to 447 cases recorded while serious family violence related assaults reached a decade high jumping from 48 to 88 offences.

Deception and fraud offending also jumped nearly 50 more offences than last year making it the second highest level of recorded deception in Wangaratta in 10 years.

More than half of the overall offending (55.6pc) within Wangaratta resulted in an arrest or summons while 27.8pc of offences were unsolved at the time of reporting.

Family violence related incidents slightly grew on last year’s record high, driven by the spike in breaches of family violence orders.

Statewide, it was the first time Victoria has recorded a decrease in crime in almost four years, but overall crime had still increased by 26 per cent over the past three years.

Victoria Police analysis suggests it will take some time before crime reduces to levels more traditionally seen in Victoria, with the cost of living, recidivism, organised crime and drugs remaining the main drivers, enabled through the increased use of technology.