Crime up but murder rate down
The national crime rate surged in 2000, but the number of murders dropped significantly, the 2002 national yearbook released today showed. "The number of victims of crimes recorded by police increased between 1999 and 2000 for almost all of the offences listed," the yearbook said. "The largest proportional increases were recorded for victims of driving causing death (12 per cent), sexual assault (11 per cent) and other theft (10 per cent). "The main falls were for murder and kidnapping/abduction, by 12 per cent and 10 per cent respectively." But the yearbook said the annual murder count has fluctuated in recent years, boosted in 1996 by the Port Arthur massacre of 35 people, the Snowtown murders of 12 people, nine deaths in two Western Australian family murder/suicides in 1999, and 15 deaths in the Childers backpacker hostel fire in 2000. "Despite this fluctuation in the number of murder victims, the victimisation rates for murder in Australia have remained relatively stable over the past six years, ranging from 1.5 to 1.8 victims per 100,000 persons," it said. Except for sexual assault and kidnapping/abduction, men were more likely to be victims, along with young people. Assault was the most common category of offences against the person and unlawful entry with intent and theft were the most frequent property crimes. Motor vehicle theft increased by nine per cent between 1995 and 2000, with more than 139,000 stolen in 2000, while other theft increased by 38 per cent. Of a total 82,395 drug offenders (excluding arrests in the ACT and by the Australian Federal Police) in 1999-2000, 55,480 related to cannabis and 11,223 to heroin. Almost 19,000 people had criminal cases finalised in District or Supreme Courts in 1999-2000, with 1,426 acquitted, 1,591 found guilty, 13,126 pleading guilty, and 2,295 cases withdrawn. On June 30, 2000, Australia had 21,714 prisoners, a 52 per cent increase in a decade, with 20,329 of them male with an average age of 33. Nineteen per cent of the prison population, or 4,095, were indigenous. "Nationally, the indigenous rate of imprisonment was approximately 14 times that of the non-indigenous population," the yearbook said. AAP
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