Community concern about crime in the ACT has risen faster than anywhere else in Australia. Roy Morgan1 research shows 51 per cent of Canberrans now believe crime is a growing problem in their community, up from just 27 per cent before the pandemic and 34 per cent a decade ago. This 24-point increase is the sharpest in the nation.
The Australian Federal Police Association (AFPA) states that the figures reflect the experiences of ACT Policing and Australian Federal Police officers, who are facing increased calls for service, more complex work, and a higher number of repeat offenders cycling through the system without consequences.
AFPA President Alex Caruana warned that the data sends a clear message to all state, territory, and federal governments, with the ACT showing the sharpest increase in concern nationwide.
“This data doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because people are seeing more crime in their suburbs, and they don’t believe the system is protecting them. This raises the community’s anxiety levels, as they may be the next victim.
“In the ACT, both ACT Policing officers and victims of crime lack adequate support from the judicial system, which is plagued by a revolving door of repeat offenders who more often than not receive bail,” Mr Caruana said.
Roy Morgan’s national figures show community concern has jumped by 15 points since the pandemic, reaching 66 per cent across Australia. In Queensland, concern is at 77 per cent. In Victoria, 72 per cent. The ACT’s story is unique; a once low-concern jurisdiction has now almost doubled its levels of worry in less than a decade.
Mr Caruana said that Canberra used to have one of the lowest levels of crime concern in the nation, and now it’s above 50 per cent, and climbing.
“That tells you the ACT community feels let down by an offender-focused bail regime, repeat offending and a lack of investment in policing over the last 20 years.
“Officers are being stretched across everything from family violence to property offences to cybercrime and child sexual exploitation investigations. Yes, it’s their job, but the officers are being stretched thin, physically and mentally, which is having a detrimental effect on their health and welfare.
“Policing in Canberra is more dangerous and complex than ever before. Criminals are committing more sophisticated crimes, which require time, resources and experience to investigate.
“Triple-Zero calls in the ACT have increased by more than 15 per cent in the past five years, averaging over 3,100 calls every month. When demand rises at this speed, but funding, resources and staffing don’t follow, it leaves police officers overstretched and the community waiting longer when they need help most,” Mr Caruana said.
National recidivism statistics show almost half of released prisoners return to custody within two years, with Northern Territory figures exceeding 60 per cent. Bail is failing too, with more than a third of adults and almost two-thirds of youths reoffending while out on bail.
Mr Caruana said that these failures are also playing out in the ACT, where police make an arrest, only to see the same offenders reoffend days later. That erodes community trust and puts victims at further risk.
“The AFPA is urging both the ACT and Federal Governments to urgently address resourcing shortfalls, strengthen bail and preventative laws, and invest in officer wellbeing.
“The AFP provides policing in the ACT under contract. That contract must be matched to reality. Canberrans are telling us they are worried about crime, and they are right to be concerned. The question is whether governments will heed the call.
“The Roy Morgan data is a wake-up call. People who call Australia home, including Canberrans, are demanding safer streets, proper consequences for repeat offenders, and more investment in the officers who keep them safe. Governments ignore these figures at their peril,” Mr Caruana said.
Media Contact:
AFPA Media and Government Relations Manager Troy Roberts – (02) 6285 1677 – troy.r@afpa.org.au
1https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/9996-australian-perceptions-of-crime-june-2025
