About Victoria Crime News
Victoria Crime News is an independent news and commentary publication covering crime, courts, policing, road safety and community safety across the state of Victoria, Australia. We are not Victoria Police, we are not affiliated with Victoria Police, and we do not represent the views of Victoria Police, the Victorian Government or any law-enforcement agency. For official information about operations, statements, missing-person appeals or community-policing programs, please visit police.vic.gov.au.
Why we exist
Victoria has more than 6.7 million residents and a complex public-safety landscape. The state runs everything from one of Australia’s busiest court systems through to a road network that accounts for hundreds of fatalities and serious injuries every year. Independent reporting on what happens in those systems — in plain language, by working journalists — matters. That is the gap we set out to fill.
We started Victoria Crime News in 2026 because so much public-safety information arrives through press releases, fragmented court lists and social-media accounts that can be hard to make sense of. Our job is to follow what is happening on the ground, in courtrooms, on country roads, and in communities, and explain it clearly. We do this without pretending to speak for police, government or any side of a case.
What we cover
- Crime — significant criminal incidents, charges and patterns across metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria.
- Courts — judgments, sentencing trends and contested hearings of public interest.
- Road safety — the Victorian road toll, enforcement campaigns, and what the data is telling us.
- Family violence — with strict adherence to safe-reporting principles and the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Family Violence.
- Community safety — everything from neighbourhood crime prevention to scams targeting Victorians.
- Regional Victoria — the safety stories that don’t always make it onto the metropolitan front page.
- Explainers — how the criminal justice system, sentencing, and protective services actually work.
Who we are
Victoria Crime News is run by a small editorial team. Each of our reporters has a beat, a contact list, and a name attached to every story.
- Eliza Hartman — chief courts reporter. Eliza has spent more than a decade in and around the Melbourne court precinct and writes most of our judgment, sentencing and inquest coverage.
- Jack Renton — police rounds and major incidents. Jack covers organised crime, drug investigations and the operational side of policing.
- Mei Calloway — community safety, road safety and family violence. Mei is a former social worker and brings a community-first lens to every piece.
- Tom Whitford — regional and rural Victoria. Tom is based in the Goulburn Valley and covers country road tolls, small-town policing and Aboriginal community safety.
How we work
We follow the MEAA Journalist Code of Ethics and our own published editorial standards. We do not run paid editorial. We disclose corrections clearly. We never identify victims of sexual assault, children involved in protected proceedings, or anyone whose identification is suppressed by a Victorian court. We rely on Mindframe’s guidelines for safe reporting when covering suicide, self-harm or family violence.
Where we discuss a person who has been charged but not convicted, we treat them as innocent until proven guilty. Where we discuss a court matter that is still on foot, we will not editorialise on guilt. Where new information comes to light, we update the story and note the change.
How to reach us
News tips are welcome at our contact page. We also accept confidential tips by mail. We do not receive emergency reports — if a crime is in progress, call 000. If you have information about a crime that does not require an emergency response, contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Our independence
Victoria Crime News is privately owned. We do not accept government funding. We accept some display advertising and disclose any sponsored content clearly within the article it appears in. We are not part of Victoria Police, the Department of Justice and Community Safety, or any other public agency.
Last updated: May 2026.