Police Minister Congratulates Police and Communities for Decrease in Crime and Road Toll

Police Minister Clem Simich praised the police and local communities following today's announcement of an overall decrease in the crime rate.

Total recorded crime is down 3.5 per cent for the year ended 30 June and the number of resolved cases is the highest in 10 years. The road toll of 505 is the lowest in 30 years.

"These results are tremendous news and all the police and local communities are to be congratulated for their tireless efforts to fight crime across the country," Mr Simich said.

Mr Simich said the key points of the crime statistics included:

• a decrease of 3.5 per cent in total recorded crime;
• the highest crime resolution rate in 10 years;
• a 4 per cent decrease in burglary and 6 per cent in all categories of dishonesty offences;
• the lowest annual road toll (505) in 30 years;
• a decrease of 27 per cent in homicides, down to 116 for the year;
• a decrease of 7.4 per cent in sexual offences; and
• a drop in the number of recorded offences in thirteen of the seventeen police districts.

"On the whole, today's figures demonstrate the success of the police's strategy for dealing with crime. In particular, crime prevention and targeted enforcement - where the police focus on specific areas of offending as a priority - have been a success.

"There are four districts where the level of crime has increased, notably in the drugs & anti-social and property abuse groups. As the statistics in these groups are generally influenced by proactive policing strategies, it is pleasing to note that those districts appear to have been targeting crime identified as particular problems in their communities.

"The increased availability of Domestic Protection orders and the seriousness with which police treat these cases, has seen a 43.6 per cent increase in recorded breaches of the Domestic Violence Act.

"The police are cracking down on offenders involved in domestic violence and are working to get this level of offending down in line with the other forms of crime.

"It's important to recognise the people at the coalface like front-line police who are working with criminals and victims of crime day in and day out. The Government thanks those people for all their efforts and their service to the community and we are committed to adequately resourcing these people so they can continue to do their jobs effectively.

"I am confident that gains from the Police Review will further enhance this process," Mr Simich concluded.