Monash police service area's Inspector Graham Sprague announced the plan after 2007-08 police statistics showed recorded crimes were up from 8145 to 8338.

The rise was due to an increase in robberies (up 24.3 per cent to 128 offences), deceptions (up 44 per cent), shoplifting (up 15.1 per cent), weapons offences (up 50 per cent) and theft from motor vehicles (up 38.5 per cent).

The number of residential burglaries dropped 10.4 per cent (903 to 809) last year after a heavy police focus on burglary hotspots and an education campaign on burglary prevention.

Inspector Sprague said robberies were the "main issue" for Monash, but the numbers were "turning" in the past month. He said police had increased the number of proactive patrols to focus on public order and street robberies, particularly at Glen Waverley railway station and Oakleigh and Clayton shopping centres.

Glen Waverley Embona detectives had also made arrests relating to "all significant series of [robbery] offences", he said.

There are also plans for a youth personal safety education program for year9 students in the Monash area from term four this year.

Inspector Sprague said young people should try to avoid being on the street in the early morning, or otherwise keep in groups.

Inspector Sprague last week announced four extra police, specialising in burglary scene attendance, would be stationed at a crime desk by next July.

He said the desk would free up divisional vans and detectives to pursue other duties.

South-eastern metropolitan Liberal MP Inga Peulich said the surge in crime showed the State Government wasn't properly funding Monash's police while.

Opposition police spokesman Andrew McIntosh said the increases in property crime in the past year suggested an economic motive behind rising violence.