Number of violent break-ins in Victoria has surged in the past decade

The number of violent home invasions has surged by 100 per cent in Victoria in the past decade. Search our map to see how your area compares.

Tens of thousands of Victorians are being caught up in a terrifying spike in home invasions.

A scourge of violent break-ins across the state has seen the number of reported aggravated burglaries double in the past 10 years.

In 2015, there were about 2,300 break-ins to people’s homes, but that figure exploded to almost 5000 last year – up to at least a dozen every day on average.

And there were six times the amount of attempted home invasions in 2024 compared to a decade ago.

The number of thieves brandishing weapons when entering homes doubled from 36 in 2017, to 65 in 2024.

CCTV still of a home invasion in Black Rock last month. Picture: Supplied

The Herald Sun’s analysis of reported break-ins by each suburb shows that Dandenong was one of the worst-hit in the state last year with 119 recorded home invasions, followed by Malvern at 82, Clyde North at 81 and 78 across Brighton.

Berwick recorded 73 home invasions, while there were 69 in Camberwell.

In Melbourne’s east, Balwyn, Kew and Glen Iris all saw about 50 break-ins.

There were at least 10 break-ins in almost 200 metropolitan suburbs.

Mildura reported the most aggravated burglaries in a Victorian town at 140.

Michael, not his real name, says he thought he was going to die as an armed intruder stomped and kicked his head inside his home.

Two men forced their way into his house in Brighton early on Sunday morning before stealing a meat cleaver from his own kitchen.

“I was very scared. I thought at that time I was going to die. The blood was coming out of my head.

“I was just protecting my head because I didn’t want to go unconscious.”

Michael had to undergo plastic surgery on his hand following the attack. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

He was able to wrestle the meat cleaver out of the intruder’s hand in a move he said stopped the incident, and his injuries, from becoming even more violent.

“I was lucky, very lucky.”

Michael’s left index finger was badly damaged during the home invasion and he suffered several cuts and bruises on his face and ears from the punches and kicks unleashed on his head.

Michael said all he felt during the terrifying 40-minute ordeal was relief because he was the only one home.

Normanby Street Brighton where there has been several recent home invasions. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

His elderly mother was due to arrive from Shanghai any day, where his wife had been taking care of the couple’s ageing parents.

“My wife told me: you should have escaped, but in that moment I had no idea what was going on. I didn’t expect that this would happen to me,” he said.

Sitting in his loungeroom with a heavily bandaged left arm and healing cuts to his face, Michael said he had been forced to clean his own blood off his bedroom wall after returning home from hospital, before cleaning his entire home and washing his bloodstained bedsheets.

He underwent plastic surgery on his hand and planned to install stronger front and back doors, as well as a new alarm system.

Michael is refusing to be driven out of his home. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Michael had only moved into his home in September, but said he felt Brighton was still a safe neighbourhood and refused to be driven out of his home.

He said break-ins were a major issue, but the government could not do enough to protect victims.

“These people, you cannot stop them … The only thing you can do is depend on yourself,” he said.

“Don’t be scared. Don’t worry and defend yourself. Don’t let these criminals scare you.”

Do you feel safe? Tell us your story at [e-mail]