Insurance company data has confirmed Victoria is the country's car crime leader while locally, car theft statistics continue to climb.
The most recent crime statistics for Baw Baw Shire, for the 12 month period to the end of March 2025, showed there had been 230 offences - a significant increase from the 149 offences recorded for the same period in 2024 and 98 in 2023.
From 2010 to 2016, car theft offences were in the 70s or 80s over a 12-month period. However, a spike of 179 offences was seen during COVID in 2020.
Data recently released by the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) showed car theft claims hade decreased in every state in the past financial year except for Victoria – which saw the largest annual increase on record.
Insurance Statistics Australia (ISA) data confirmed Victoria as the country's "car crime leader," recording a 59 per cent increase in car theft claims and a 70 per cent increase in incurred costs – with more than 12,000 claims totalling $223 million in the 12 months to June 2025.
At a national level, the number of vehicle theft claims rose 11 per cent to 30,000 claims totalling $466 million.
ICA chief executive officer Andrew Hall said car theft claims had been climbing significantly over the past decade.
"Everyone pays for car theft, through increased costs of policing, courts and ultimately insurance. We cannot accept this level of car crime as normal in Australia.
"It is encouraging to see car crime claims on the decline in majority of states and the reductions in Queensland, which was previously leading the country on the increases, are particularly pleasing," he said.
Victoria Police and Crime Stoppers have worked together to encourage residents to be proactive in making it more difficult for car thieves to operate.
Last month Crime Stoppers launched the Level Up Against Car Theft Campaign. With car theft on the rise, driven by thieves using sophisticated technology to bypass vehicle security in minutes, Crime Stoppers said it was essential to take proactive measures.
Offenders are using devices that can intercept key fob signals, access onboard computers and even reprogram vehicles on the spot. One in five cars are being stolen using third-party electronic devices capable of reprogramming keys.
Car owners are encouraged to invest in anti-theft devices to reduce the risk and help stop car theft before it happens.
Crime Stoppers Victoria chief executive Stella Smith said everyone had a part to play."Locking your car, parking in safer spots, removing valuables, and using anti-theft devices can all make a real difference.".
Crime statistics demonstrated offenders were increasingly targeting vehicles with keyless entry and push-start systems, using devices that mimic or override factory settings. Car makes including Holden, Toyota and Subaru were being stolen at three to four times the rate recorded five years ago.
Detective inspector Julie Macdonald from the Vehicle Crime Squad said police were arresting a significant number of offenders in possession of key reprogramming devices.
"These devices are turning up more and more at search warrants, while we've also seen some of our most prolific youth offenders using them to steal cars that are then used to facilitate further serious offending," she said.