Melbourne: Knife Crime Capital

Today on InLeo we're challenging the notion of the use of Australia Vs America in the battle of gun violence and while we are in no way, shape of form saying gun's should not be banned or limited. We want to raise the topic that just because you ban guns, doesn't mean people stop killing each other.

What changes is what it it is they use to kill each other, firearms are dangerous as they provide space between the victim and the aggressor while enabling multiple people to be harmed faster and at larger capacity. But readers should be mindful that simply banning a weapon on item solves the underlying problem, it doesn't.

From Cultural to Knife Crime Capital

For years Victoria has been celebrated as Australia’s cultural and economic capital but in recent years, the state has seen a worrying shift in crime trends. Rising violent crime, soaring weapon seizures and record breaking offence rates have swelled public concern. The data suggests that Victoria may be at risk of becoming what some now call Australia’s “crime capital.”

In the 12 months ending June 2025, the Crime Statistics Agency (CSA) recorded 638,640 criminal offences in Victoria an increase of 15.7% from the previous year.. On a per-person basis, that equates to a crime rate of 8,998.9 offences per 100,000 people which is up 13.8% year on year. Offences against the person (assaults, robberies, violent crimes) have driven much of the increase.

Robbery victims in Victoria rose to 3,436 in 2024 up 16% compared with 2023. In 2024 Crime Data the overwhelming majority of those crimes involved a weapon.

Crime Out Of Control

One of the most dramatic changes in Victoria’s crime landscape is the growing use of knives and machete use in place of firearms. While Australia is often used globally as an example of how you can make your country safe by banning guns, people need to stop ignoring in how violent crime is being committed here as it paints a false narrative.

According to recent statements by Victoria Police by mid 2025 they had seized 6,876 illegal knives, machetes and “zombie-style” blades which has been a record haul which also represents a 31% increase over the past decade.

That works out to an average of 44 weapons confiscated per day a clear indicator of how widespread bladed weapons have become.

Melbourne is similar to Chicago and often referred to San Francisco so for the benefit of doubt we will use both cities gun violence compared to Melbourne's Knife Crime.

Chicago Gun Violence Per Day - 3.7

San Francisco estimated Gun Violence Per Day 10.7

Melbourne Per Day Knife Crime - 47

Youth Leading Knife Crime

The increase in knife seizures is so significant politicians in 2025 pushed through a statewide ban on machete sales and possession. Experts say knives and machetes have become central in youth related violent crime, including robberies, aggravated burglaries and stabbings. These wild scenes unfold daily across social media and reported on in the mainstream news.

Taken together, these data paint a stark picture: as firearms remain heavily restricted, offenders are increasingly turning to bladed weapons which are legal or easily obtained to commit violence and intimidation.

Part of what makes the shift so alarming is how it undermines a common narrative that strict gun laws make places like Victoria fundamentally safer than nations with lax firearm rules. While it is true that Australia’s gun control reforms have dramatically reduced mass shootings and firearm related crime since the 1990s.

while guns may be largely off the streets, violence has not disappeared and has it simply adapted. Knives and machetes are filling the void. They are inexpensive, widely available (often under the guise of gardening or tools) and rarely require licensing or registration.

This proves that restricting one weapon does not eliminate violent crime it often changes the tools people use.

In Victoria alone violent robberies, street assaults, home invasions and youth gang attacks have increased in frequency often in places people consider “safe.” The recent surge in weapons seizures suggests a climbing rate of the use of dangerous tools on Victorian streets.

It get's worse when we dive deeper and see that the people committing these crimes are repeat offenders including youths accounting for a disproportionate amount of the violence. Recent media reporting claims that less than 1% of the population may be responsible for more than 40% of all recorded offences..

Banning Machete's Just Doesn't Cut It

The roll out of machete bins while seeming well intended does nothing to address the core issues and only targets the tool of the day, while some have been limited to their access to machete's we're seeing criminals go for smaller blades which are just as dangerous.

Just this week a Victorian was set upon by someone with a stanley knife (box cutter) and was lucky to escape with their life.

None of it will change unless the government focuses on the core issues leading to the rise of crime in Victoria.

But Global Nation's should stop referring to Australia as the "safe" nation since banning guns because knife crime has been rising and they can be just as deadly as a gun in the hands of the right criminals.

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Posted Using INLEO