Aggravated burglaries in Casey increased 28.1 per cent to 70 offences.

Residential burglaries dropped 9.1 per cent, but handling of stolen goods leapt 189.3 per cent with more than 650offences detected.

Arson was up 32.4 per cent, although police said this was largely due to a temporary spate of minor youth vandalism last Christmas.

However, they expressed concern about a big jump in thefts from vehicles - especially of satellite navigation systems and number plates used by thieves to drive away from petrol stations without paying for fuel.

Thefts from vehicles jumped 18.4 per cent and car thefts rose 12 per cent.

But assaults were down 4 per cent and robberies dropped 9.6 per cent.

A spokesman said Casey police would focus their efforts on burglaries, theft of and from vehicles and road safety in the year ahead.

The rise in Casey's crime rate contrasted with a 1.9 per cent fall in Victoria's crime rate, hailed by police as the lowest figure since computerised recording started in 1993.

Despite the drop, some worrying trends were detected in the Victorian data, including a 316per cent jump in theft from cars, with 6787 satellite navigation systems stolen. Violent crime, robbery and assault on public transport rose by 16.9 per cent, 24.2 per cent and 17.3 per cent respectively.

Opposition police spokesman Andrew McIntosh said he was particularly concerned about increases in aggravated burglary and the overall increases in violent crime and property crime in Casey last year.

"They suggest a growing economic motive behind rising violence," he said.