A state leader concedes stubbornly high crime rates have pushed up insurance premiums as police blitz an inner city to curb theft and anti-social conduct.
Acting Premier Ben Carroll on Tuesday responded to claims high levels of crime in Victoria were behind rising insurance costs compared to other Australian states.
Victoria has been grappling with increasing crime, especially among young offenders, prompting the Labor state government to tighten bail laws in 2025.
Mr Carroll acknowledged Victorians were paying more for insurance than other parts of the country due to crime.
"That is what you have seen in relation to insurance prices," he told reporters on Tuesday.
"There is more than one victim in any crime, there are families and there are communities.''
Mr Carroll defended the Allan government's handling of crime, pointing to more offenders being placed on remand and receiving longer sentences.
Car theft was a big contributor to surging crime-linked insurance costs, opposition police spokesman Brad Battin said.
"We know for a fact that the crime crisis here in this state has seen car thefts increase faster and more than any other state in Australia," Mr Battin said.
With crime still looming as a political issue ahead of the November state election, Victoria Police have promised round-the-clock patrols on Melbourne's Chapel St in Prahran.
Operation Embrace will feature 24-hour patrols from the public order response team, police dogs and police on horseback.
Highway patrol cars and police on bikes will also be deployed as part of a three-week blitz to curb thefts and anti-social behaviour in the nightlife precinct.
Retail theft, drug issues, and poor behaviour around Chapel St's nightclubs would be met with a "show of force", acting assistant commissioner Damian Jackson said.
There were 450 arrests in the area for such offences last year.
"Chapel Street's really a destination," Mr Jackson said.
"It's a vibrant part of our community and we want the community to be able to come here and enjoy it."
