Victoria's top cop says the youth crime crisis has left some communities gripped with fear but admits that police can't solve the problem.

Speaking to 3AW's Neil Mitchell, Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton acknowledged there was a youth crime issue and said police were making more arrests and responding faster than ever but said that "if you're looking for police to put it to bed, you're looking in the wrong direction".

Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police Graham Ashton.

"The social conditions that we've got out there are such that young people are out there looking for trouble," he said .

Mr Ashton said he was "saddened" by a walk through the streets of Tarneit, where shuttered windows and deserted streets show a community stricken by fear of crime.