This page was last updated: 22nd April 2009

2007/2008 Victorian Crime Stats

SUMMARY OF OFFENCES RECORDED
Victoria
				Offences recorded			Rate per 100,000 population*
				2006/07	2007/08	% change	2006/07	2007/08	% change
	Crime against the person
		Homicide		197	169	-14.2	3.8	3.2	-15.6
		Rape		1,700	1,562	-8.1	32.9	29.8	-9.6
		Sex (non rape)		6,210	6,263	0.9	120.3	119.4	-0.7
		Robbery		2,880	3,332	15.7	55.8	63.5	13.9
		Assault		31,052	31,284	0.7	601.4	596.3	-0.8
		Abduction / Kidnap		314	337	7.3	6.1	6.4	5.6
			Sub-total	42,353	42,947	1.4	820.2	818.6	-0.2
	Crime against property	Arson		3,229	3,186	-1.3	62.5	60.7	-2.9
		Property damage		52,509	52,972	0.9	1,016.9	1,009.7	-0.7
		Burglary (aggravated)		1,669	1,741	4.3	32.3	33.2	2.7
		Burglary (residential)		29,551	28,817	-2.5	572.3	549.3	-4.0
		Burglary (other)		19,140	19,322	1.0	370.7	368.3	-0.6
		Deception		25,682	23,290	-9.3	497.4	444.0	-10.7
		Handle stolen goods		7,673	6,627	-13.6	148.6	126.3	-15.0
		Theft from motor vehicle		46,482	52,178	12.3	900.2	994.6	10.5
		Theft (shopsteal)		16,160	15,704	-2.8	313.0	299.3	-4.3
		Theft of motor vehicle		17,998	18,008	0.1	348.6	343.3	-1.5
		Theft of bicycle		5,679	5,853	3.1	110.0	111.6	1.4
		Theft (other)		56,576	53,436	-5.6	1,095.7	1,018.6	-7.0
			Sub-total	282,348	281,134	-0.4	5,468.0	5,358.9	-2.0
	Drug offences
		Drug (cult., manuf., traff.)		4,704	4,164	-11.5	91.1	79.4	-12.9
		Drug (possess, use)		9,862	10,040	1.8	191.0	191.4	0.2
			Sub-total	14,566	14,204	-2.5	282.1	270.8	-4.0
	Other crime
		Going equipped to steal		445	467	4.9	8.6	8.9	3.3
		Justice procedures		17,939	17,288	-3.6	347.4	329.5	-5.1
		Regulated public order		1,937	2,070	6.9	37.5	39.5	5.2
		Weapons / Explosives		6,726	6,946	3.3	130.3	132.4	1.6
		Harassment		2,825	2,964	4.9	54.7	56.5	3.3
		Behaviour in public		3,423	3,285	-4.0	66.3	62.6	-5.5
		Other		5,812	5,653	-2.7	112.6	107.8	-4.3
			Sub-total	39,107	38,673	-1.1	757.4	737.2	-2.7
	TOTAL			378,374	376,958	-0.4	7,327.6	7,185.5	-1.9

You can check the crime stats for your area by going to the new VicPol news centre:

The link is: http://www.vicpolicenews.com.au/

Entry points

Home break-ins crime stats - method of entry

• 30% Force door locks open
• 25% Force windows open
• 20% Through unlocked windows
• 10% Break the window
• 5% Break the glass on doors
• 4% No sign of entry
• 3% Enter through the roof.

Source: Lockwood & Neighbourhood Watch August 2008 newsletter

From these stats windows from 60% of the entry to a home with a third of these through unlocked windows.

Official crime statistics released

Release date: Mon 18 August 2008

Last updated: Mon 18 August 2008

Victoria Police has today released its official crime statistics which show that for the seventh consecutive year crime has decreased across Victoria.

The overall crime rate has now fallen 24.5 per cent since 2000/01, following a 1.9 per cent decrease per 100,000 population in 2007/08. Crime rates are now at their lowest point since the introduction of computerised recording in 1993.

Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon said: “I am pleased to see that once again there has been a drop in the number of crimes reported across Victoria and this is a credit to the hard work of our members.”

Wyndham Police Service Area recorded the biggest drop in crime achieving a 24.5 per cent reduction. This included a 7.7 per cent reduction in robbery and a 29.6 per cent drop in assaults. Other areas to experience a decrease in crime included Frankston, Dandenong, Knox, Moonee Valley and Stonnington.

“Wyndham is one of the largest growth corridors in the state and to achieve such a turnaround in the numbers of reported crime is fantastic, especially when there has been such a dramatic decrease in violent offences,” Ms Nixon said.

Despite the decrease in overall crime, police have expressed concern over the rise in theft from motor vehicle offences, in particular the number of satellite navigation systems being stolen.

The latest figures highlight that on average nearly 19 satellite navigation systems are being stolen across Victoria everyday. This has resulted in an increase of 316 per cent since last year. In 2006/07 there were 1,632 systems stolen which has jumped this year to a staggering 6,787.

“The number of Global Positioning Systems being stolen is astounding and what makes it more concerning is that this is a preventable crime,” Ms Nixon said.

“Theft from a vehicle accounts for almost 14 per cent of all crimes reported to Victoria Police. Drivers need to ensure that satellite navigation systems are removed from sight and phones and other small electrical items are not left on display, particularly when cars are left in public transport car parks. Theft from motor car is a purely opportunistic offence. If people did not leave valuables in their cars then thieves would simply keep walking past their vehicle.”

“We know that robbery, assault and some property crimes are still areas of concern. Whilst we are working to address these issues more can be done and we need the support of the community to drive crime down even further.”

Ms Nixon said she was pleased the figures were beginning to show a reduction in assaults, with a 0.8 per cent drop per 100,000 recorded last year. She added that a clearance rate of 80 per cent was a sign that public order initiatives were working.

“Last year we identified assault and public order offences as an area for concern and this resulted in the creation of the Safe Streets Taskforce. The taskforce has reduced the number of violent incidents in the city and to date has resulted in more than 300 arrests, almost 900 penalty notices being issued, and almost 5,000 visits to licensed premises.

“Earlier this year we announced a new state-wide Liquor Licensing Taskforce which aims to drive down alcohol-related crime. In their first four months they have visited 343 licensed premises, one in five of these visits resulted in a penalty notice being issued and about 30 per cent of those visited resulted in a warning.

“Almost a quarter of the assaults reported to Victoria Police are family violence and these figures have increased from 15 per cent to 23.7 per cent since 2004. We are pleased with this increase as it shows that people are beginning to have the confidence to report what is really happening.”

Despite an increase of 13.9 per cent this year, robbery has reduced significantly since 2000/01 with the number of offences per 100,000 down by 30.1 per cent. However, Ms Nixon said Victoria Police was concerned by an increasing trend in this type of crime particularly street robberies.

“This may be linked to the increased possession of small expensive electrical items including mobile phones and mp3 players. Often young people are the victims and the offenders. People also tend to use them while waiting at public transport locations or when out and about.

“Last year we identified that robberies were an issue and as a result have increased the number of officers in various Embona Taskforces who are specifically investigating robbery offences. Targeted operations in areas such as Noble Park, Footscray and Brimbank have resulted in countless arrests and we will continue to utilise our intelligence to identify key areas and issues.”

Police vigilance has led to an increase of 1.8 per cent in the detection of the possession of drugs (10,040 offences). Although drug cultivation, manufacturing and trafficking offences has seen a decrease of 11.5 per cent since last year, this is due to Victoria Police targeting the higher level players in the drug industry.

In the past year, the Drug State Taskforce has arrested 79 offenders in investigations predominately relating to amphetamine type substances (speed, ecstasy & ice).

In addition, 40 Clandestine laboratories have been shut down and the majority of those located were for the production of methylamphetamine.

“There are many areas where crime has decreased which continue to make Victoria a safe place to live in. I am proud of the achievements made by my members.”

Figures per 100,000 population show:

Public order offences still a priority in Region 1 = 2008 Release date: Mon 18 August 2008 Last updated: Mon 18 August 2008 According to official crime statistics released today, Region 1 has had a 6.7 per decrease in overall crime during the 2007/2008 financial year, making it the top regional performer of the state. Region 1 has made significant inroads in a number of crime categories, including burglary and theft of motor vehicle. The 6.7 per cent drop in crime bolsters the region’s overall crime reduction over the past five years, which has reduced by 38.7 per cent per 100,000 population since 2000/2001. Despite the overall decrease in crime, Assistant Commissioner Gary Jamieson (Central) said assaults were still at an unacceptable high and police will continue to target public order offences until there is a significant decrease in the number of offences. Figures per 100,000 population show assaults have risen by 0.5 per cent compared to the same time last year, which is in addition to the 17.5 per cent increase recorded during the 2006/2007 financial year. Mr Jamieson said Victoria Police has already introduced a number of initiatives over the past 12 months, which have resulted in public order offences experiencing a downward trend in the latter half of the financial year. “Since its inception, the Safe Streets Task Force has been operating every Friday and Saturday night to keep our streets safe,” Mr Jamieson said. “The task force targets assault, robbery and property damage, and has already shown some encouraging signs in our bid to tackle public order offences. “Earlier this year, police were also given powers to issue banning notices to anyone suspected of committing a public order offence in the Melbourne CBD and Chapel Street area. “This has proved to be an invaluable tool, and means police can ban a person from re-entering licensed venues in a designated area for 24 hours. “Other initiatives such as voluntary 2am lockouts in Queen Street and the recent three month trial imposed by the Director of Liquor Licensing have also contributed to the downward trend experienced in the region.” Mr Jamieson adds that alcohol-related crime is a complex and multifaceted issue and is one that the whole community needs to address, not just police. In other crime categories, there was a 7.0 per cent increase in robbery across the region. Incidents generally involve both youth offenders and victims, and the increase in popular items such as iPods and mobile phones has had a significant impact on the rise. Mr Jamieson said although the increase is lower than the state-wide average, which sees robbery rise by 13.9 per cent, it is still of major concern to police. “We’re finding young offenders are committing armed robberies with little or no understanding of the seriousness of the offence,” Mr Jamieson said. “Anecdotal information suggests that young offenders consider street level armed robbery no worse than theft, which is alarming to police. “To tackle the issue, Region 1 is currently in the process of developing a pilot youth robbery reduction campaign, which will include an advertising campaign, visits to schools by police youth resource officers, and an extensive media campaign. “This will not only provide young people with tips on how they can avoid being victims of crime, but also highlight the seriousness of the crime, especially if the offender is armed.” Theft (other), shopsteal and theft of motor vehicle have all decreased by 13.8, 9.5 and 6.6 per cent respectively, which is a result of proactive policing throughout the region. Theft from motor vehicle has increased by 4.9 per cent across the region, which is lower than the 10.5 per cent increase experienced throughout Victoria. Mr Jamieson said over the past year, police have been targeting hotspots throughout the region and have been encouraging people to remove all valuables from their car before parking. ‘Park Smarter’ signs have been erected throughout the City of Melbourne to remind people to ‘Remove it or Lose It’, and police have been working with parking inspectors to notify crime desks of any at-risk vehicles they see during their patrol. Theft of bicycle has risen by 12.1 per cent, which is above the 1.4 per cent state average. Bicycles are most commonly stolen from private properties or underground carparks, and police remind people to securely lock their bike at night, and engrave their license number on the bike. All burglary categories have decreased significantly, with aggravated burglary down 12.1 per cent, residential burglary down 15.7 per cent and burglary (other) down 3.9 per cent. Drug related crime for cultivating, manufacturing and trafficking has increased by 2.6 per cent, while drug possession and use arrests have decreased by 32.2 per cent. Mr Jamieson said police have been focusing on high volume drug offences and a series of covert operations have resulted in a number of significant arrests and the seizure of large quantities of cocaine, ice, amphetamine and cannabis. Homicide decreased by 22.0 per cent, rape by 25.0 per cent and sex (non rape) by 16.5 per cent. Arson and property damage decreased by 11.5 and 5.0 per cent, while deception and handle stolen goods dropped by 11.6 and 37.7 per cent respectively. The work of proactive policing led to an increase of 14.9 per cent in going equipped to steal, a 13.8 per cent rise in harassment, and a 3.5 per cent rise in weapons and explosives. Regulated public order offences dropped by 31.6 per cent, while the number of justice procedures and behaviour is public offences decreased by 10.9 and 12.6 per cent. Melbourne Police Service Area The Melbourne police service area experienced a 9.7 per cent decrease in crime in the 2007/2008 financial year. Assault dropped by 2.3 per cent, with the number of public order offences in the Melbourne CBD on Friday and Saturday nights having stabilised since October 2007 due to the introduction of the Safe Streets Task Force. Theft from motor vehicle offences have increased significantly by 21.1 per cent. Over the past 12 months, police have been targeting hotspots in the area, such as underground public car parking, and will continue to do this throughout the 2008/2009 financial year. Theft of bicycle rose by 37.4 per cent, which can be largely attributed to a higher number of people commuting to and from work and university due to increasing petrol prices and traffic congestion. To reduce the number of offences, police have been working with major universities and workplaces to encourage organisations to provide secure places for bikes to be stored. Robbery has increased by 4.5 per cent, which will continue to be a key policing priority throughout the police service area. Yarra Police Service Area Overall there has been a 2.7 per cent increase in crime in the Yarra police service area during the 2007/2008 financial year. Assault has risen by 26.9 per cent, while robbery has increased by 23.1 per cent. Theft of motor vehicle has decreased by 10.6 per cent. Stonnington Police Service Area Over the past 12 months, Stonnington has experienced a 15.7 per cent decrease in overall crime. Burglary has decreased significantly across all crime categories; including a 30.4 per cent drop in residential burglary, 6.5 per cent in aggravated burglary and 16.1 per cent in burglary (other). Robbery has plummeted by 17.1 per cent, while theft from motor vehicle has decreased by 15.4 per cent. Port Phillip Police Service Area The Port Phillip police service area has had a 6.7 per cent drop in crime during the 2007/2008 financial year. Residential burglary has dropped by 17.1 per cent, theft of motor vehicle by 12.1 per cent and property damage by 5.8 per cent. Assault has remained fairly steady, rising by 0.5 per cent, while theft from motor vehicle has decreased marginally by 0.9 per cent. Robbery has increased by 24.9 per cent. Glen Eira Police Service Area There has been a 9.5 per cent drop in overall crime in Glen Eira, with significant reductions in a number of crime categories. Contrary to the statewide trend, robbery and assault offences have decreased by 8.8 and 3.3 per cent respectively. Residential burglary has plummeted by 18.8 per cent, while property damage has decreased by 16.5 per cent. Theft from motor vehicle offences was the only major crime category to increase, rising by 6.6 per cent. Kingston Police Service Area The Kingston police service area has experienced a 9.0 per cent drop in crime over the past 12 months. There has been a 15.8 per cent reduction in assault, 30.8 per cent decrease in aggravated burglary and a 1.7 per cent drop in theft from motor vehicle. Robbery has increased by 11.4 per cent, which follows a similar trend to the statewide average, and residential burglary has increased slightly by 3.0 per cent. Bayside Police Service Area Bayside has experienced a 2.0 per cent drop in crime during the 2007/2008 financial year. Theft from motor vehicle and assault has decreased by 11.1 per cent and 8.9 per cent respectively. All burglary crime categories have decreased, which includes an 11.6 per cent drop in residential burglary, 13.2 per cent in aggravated burglary and 15.5 per cent in burglary (other). Robbery has increased by 20.8 per cent, while there has been an 8.1 rise in property damage.

MEDIA RELEASE
December 13, 2007	Embargoed: 11.30 am (AEDT)	130/2007
Prisoner numbers up on last year

Adult prisoner numbers increased by 1,400 (6%) over the past year to June 2007, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Based on current figures, a total of 27,200 prisoners are currently in our jails - an imprisonment rate of 169 prisoners per 100,000 adult population.

Over half (57%) of all prisoners had served a sentence in an adult prison prior to the current episode. Nearly two-thirds of prisoners (62% or 7,000), sentenced in the 12 months prior to June 2007, had previously been in prison.

The largest proportion of prisoners were sentenced for acts intended to cause injury (16%), followed by sexual assault (13%).

Prisoners on average were sentenced to 4.8 years, however the average expected time to serve (the earliest date of release) was 3.4 years. For the offence of acts intended to cause injury, prisoners were sentenced to an average of 3 years, but served an average of 2.1 years for this offence.

Nearly a quarter (22%) of all prisoners were on remand; an increase of 9% from June 2006. The average time spent on remand by prisoners was five months.

Nearly a quarter (24%) of prisoners were Indigenous. Indigenous prisoners were 13 times more likely to be in prison than non-Indigenous prisoners. However, their average sentence length was less than non-Indigenous prisoners (3.6 years compared with 5.3 years).

Other findings at 30 June 2007 were:

• The average age of all prisoners was 35 years.
• Over three-quarters of prisoners (79%) were born in Australia.
• The imprisonment rate for women increased from 15 to 24 prisoners per 100,000 adult women over the 10 years to June 2007.
• South Australia had the highest average sentence length for all prisoners at 6.1 years.

Crime & Safety in Australia

Australian Bureau of Statistics - media release 26.04.06

4509 Crime & Safety, Australia 2005

Break Ins

259,800 households victims of break in or attempted break in during 2005.

Down from 354,500 households in 2002.

Victoria & Tasmania had the lowest rate in Australia of 5% of households experiencing crime.

Assault

In 2005 2,613,400 incidents of assault experienced by 770,600 victims.

Assaults occured at the following places:

• Home - 31%
• Work - 26%

63% of victims knew one or more offender.

75% of the victims male.

50% aged between 15-24

Prisioners

As at June 2006 from Australian Bureau of Statistics "Prisioners in Australia 2006" Media Release 14.12.06

Total number of people in Australian prisions: 25,800

Number of women included in above: 1,800

Imprisionment rate of: 163 per 100,000 adults

Prisioners convicted of the following offences

• Assault - 15%
• Sexual Assault - 12%
• Unlawful entry - 12%
• Homicide - 10%
• Robbery - 10%
• Extortion - 10%
• Illicit drug use - 10%

Prisioners sentanced to an average of 4.9 years

Prisioners serve an average of 3.5 years before becoming eligible for parole.

Medium age: 33 years old

Majority of prisioners (70%) aged between 20 - 39

Prisioners on remand

5,600 prisioners awaiting trial