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Rise in crime has Victorians scared: poll

A poll shows Victoria's Labor government is maintaining a tight lead among voters, despite people feeling less safe due to an increase in crime.

Premier Daniel Andrews
Victoria's Labor Andrews government is maintaining its tight lead over the opposition, a poll shows. (AAP)

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Source: AAP


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Victorians are feeling less safe since Labor came to power, but the Andrews government is maintaining a tight lead over the opposition, a poll shows.

The latest Galaxy/Herald Sun opinion poll, published on Monday, shows Labor with a 51-49 per cent two-party preferred lead on the coalition.

A rising One Nation polled eight per cent of the primary vote.

The poll of 1085 voters also found 52 per cent were feeling less safe since the government was elected in November 2014.

The crime rate has risen over the past six years, and more recently a small cohort of violent youth offenders have terrified residents in home invasions and rioted in detention centres.

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Police Minister Lisa Neville is "very conscious" of concerns and says reforms such as more police officers, tougher laws and new police powers will improve the situation.

"I do not underestimate the concern that Victorians have in relation to crime in our state," Ms Neville told reporters on Monday.

"That (reform) strategy, it won't change things overnight but we're very confident we'll start to have a significant impact."

The opposition says the poll shows the state government is failing.

"It doesn't surprise me one bit that Victorians are feeling less safe today than they did two years ago," Liberal leader Matthew Guy told reporters.

"Polls will come and go, (but) Victorians don't feel safe, that's the key message I see from this poll today."

The poll showed Pauline Hanson's One Nation party is now polling at eight per cent in Victoria.

Galaxy managing director David Briggs says if those preferences go to the coalition, the Labor government would be in trouble at next year's election.

Ms Neville says there is always a "base" for groups like One Nation

"(But) it's a very, very small percentage as you would expect in Victoria compared to some of the figures you are seeing across the country," she said.

Premier Daniel Andrews told ABC radio he would leave polls to the pollsters.


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