Victoria Police has seized a record 15,010 edged weapons from the hands of criminals this year - the most since records have been kept.
On average, this equates to 47 knives, machetes and zombie knives per day that police have taken off the streets and had destroyed in 2025.
This surpasses last year's record when police seized 14,808 edged weapons - an average of 44 per day.
Victoria Police has been steadily finding and destroying more knives each year. On current pace, the force is on track to seize 50% more knives this year than a decade ago when records started being kept.
Many of these weapons have been seized from residential addresses during targeted search warrants on known offenders.
Police are also targeting known youth gang members as part of Operation Alliance - given they are among those most likely to carry weapons in public.
This occurs via regular bail compliance checks, search warrants, vehicle intercepts, and patrols where gangs are known to congregate and offend.
Recent incidents, including two separate stabbings in Melbourne's CBD, a stabbing during a brawl in Broadmeadows and people being confronted in their homes by armed intruders, have understandably heightened community concern around the prevalence of knives.
Incidents such as these reiterate why Victoria Police regularly conducts proactive patrols and runs designated OMNI weapons search operations at busy locations to detect and deter people from carrying weapons and boost public safety.
Victoria Police conducts a number of OMNI Operations each month, with 39 already held this year at locations including public transport hubs and shopping centres.
129 edged weapons have been seized as a result from these operations, including machetes and various knives such as homemade knives and steak knives.
While this is only a very small number of the 15,010 edged weapons seized this year, these operations remain integral to both deterring people carrying knives and ensuring community safety.
Quotes attributable to Chief Commissioner Mike Bush:
"I am acutely aware of how much concern knife crime generates in the Victorian community, with multiple recent incidents striking at the heart of how safe people are and how safe people feel.
"The simple fact is knife crime leads to nothing but immense harm and significant trauma - whether it be physical or psychological.
"This is why police are relentlessly pursuing anyone who thinks it's acceptable to carry a knife or machete.
"Our officers are exceptional at taking knives out of the wrong hands and having them destroyed.
"In the past week, Victoria Police has broken our knife seizure record for the second year running, with over 15,000 knives and machetes taken out of the hands of criminals this year.
"Police are doing this in a range of ways, including through targeted search warrants at the homes of known offenders, vehicle intercepts, and planned public weapons search operations.
"Knives and machetes have no place at your local shopping centre, bus stop or train station, and we'll continue to use every available avenue to ensure our community is safe."
Victoria Police knife seizures by calendar year:
- 2015 11,331
- 2016 11,914
- 2017 10,639
- 2018 11,169
- 2019 11,864
- 2020 12,154
- 2021 10,682
- 2022 12,325
- 2023 13,064
- 2024 14,808
- 2025 15,010 (as of Friday 14 November)
- TOTAL 134,960
