One-in-five Victorians don't feel safe where they live, while a third feel less secure than they did 12 months ago, according to RACV's Home Safety Pulse report.
The survey, which heard from more than 5000 Victorians on their perceptions about safety at home and community, found 17 per cent felt somewhat or completely unsafe at home.
This was more pronounced in Melbourne's west at 22 per cent, followed by the city's northeast and southeast areas both at 19 per cent.
Feeling safe at home was fundamental to wellbeing and quality of life, but for many Victorians that was being "eroded", RACV corporate affairs general manager Liz Carey said.
Among those who felt more unsafe in their home than 12 months ago, 94 per cent blamed rising crime and a third said it was linked to a neighbour experiencing a crime.
"Even when people haven't been directly affected, concerns about crime in their community can still have a powerful impact on how safe they feel at home," Ms Carey said.
Victoria's latest crime statistics showed criminal offences rose 4.2 per cent in 2025.
Almost half of survey respondents wanted the state to fund local councils to improve neighbourhood safety, invest in home-safety education and awareness campaigns, and offer households financial support to install home-security features.
The state Labor government would continue to back Victoria Police boss Mike Bush and bolster the courts' powers and resources to stop crime, Deputy Premier Ben Carroll said.
"People shouldn't only be safe, but they should feel safe," he told reporters on Thursday.
The Victorian coalition said the survey highlighted the government's failures as it unveiled an election promise to recruit an extra 200 protective services officers and return their presence to 120 train stations.
Under the plan, PSO duties would be expanded to patrolling surrounding areas, including shopping precincts, opposition leader Jess Wilson said.
"They make commuters feel safe when they're getting off the train at night," she said.
Mr Carroll slammed the announcement as a "back to the future" policy from the Liberals' 2010 platform, declaring the government took advice from Victoria Police on where crime should be targeted.
The community safety debate came after a man was shot dead at an apartment building at Box Hill in Melbourne's east in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Police are treating it as a targeted attack.
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