But the major parties are almost neck and neck on the issue of who is best able to improve law and order in Victoria: 27 per cent of voters believe the Coalition under Matthew Guy would do a better job; 25 per cent think the Andrews government has the best approach. Of the remaining voters, 10 per cent said other parties including the Greens would be best placed to fix crime rates, 26 per cent didn't know and 13 per cent had no preference. Social research group Ipsos has monitored Victorian voters’ sentiment about the burning issues since 2010, surveying 750 people each quarter. In its latest survey, 52 per cent of respondents listed crime as one of their three greatest concerns, well ahead of housing at 33 per cent, cost of living at 27 per cent, healthcare at 24 per cent and transport at 22 per cent.

In fact, the level of concern about crime has this year risen to its highest point in the eight-year history of the Ipsos survey. Daniel Evans, Ipsos deputy managing director, said crime had been the most important issue on Victorians’ minds for the past 19 months, and this showed no sign of abating. Illustration: Matt Golding “This is in spite of recent, well publicised evidence that the crime rate has – on the whole – gone down,” Mr Evans said. The Crime Statistics Agency released new figures last month that showed the crime rate fell almost 10 per cent last year, ending a run of increases that began six years ago.

But the survey results suggest the turnaround has not eased voters’ concerns. Concern about crime was greatest among regional voters, men and people aged 50 and older. It also increased with age. Thirty-six per cent of 18-29 year-olds were concerned about crime, rising to 48 per cent among 30-49 year-olds and 68 per cent of those aged 50 and older. But across all categories, concern is greater now than it was at the last election.

The Opposition has released dozens of new law and order policies, including taking a harsher approach to sentencing and bail, to convince voters only it will make Victoria safer. But the survey results indicate high levels of community concern about crime have not boosted the Coalition’s stocks. In fact, confidence in the Coalition to better tackle crime has faded: two years ago, 31 per cent of Ipsos survey respondents backed the Opposition on law and order, compared with 18 per cent who backed Labor. Opposition police spokesman Edward O'Donohue says Victorians are more concerned about violent crime. Credit:Rob Gunstone Opposition police spokesman Edward O’Donohue said Victorians were not soothed by the recent overall drop in the crime rate, because the worst crimes had become more prevalent.

“Under Daniel Andrews, the worst crimes are the ones that have increased the most; aggravated residential burglaries are up 47.8 per cent while aggravated robberies are up 29.6 per cent,” Mr O’Donohue said. “It’s no wonder that [Police Minister] Lisa Neville said Victorians don’t feel safe in their own homes.” He said the Coalition was committed to putting victims of crime at the centre of the justice system, holding perpetrators to account and “breaking the cycle of offending that Daniel Andrews is incapable of stopping”. Police Minister Lisa Neville says the government has boosted police numbers. Credit:Joe Armao The government has released several of its own tougher law and order policies this year, including making it much harder for alleged serious violent offenders to get bail or for convicted criminals to serve a community corrections order instead of doing jail time.