TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction…………………………..……..…………………………………………………… 3 Definitions And Explanatory Notes…………………………………….……………………… 5 Section 1 Crime At A Glance……………………………………………...……………………………… 11 Section 2 Offences…………………………………………...………………………….………………… 15 Section 3 Victims………………………………………….……………………………...………………… 21 Section 4 Alleged Offenders………………………………………………………….…………………… 35 Section 5 Distinct Alleged Offenders………………………………………………….………………… 65 ONTENTS Section 6 Geographical Location Of Offences……………………………………..…………………… 75 Section 7 Values of Property Stolen Or Damaged……………………………………………….……… 97 Section 8 Temporal Trends…………………………………………………………………….………… 103 Section 9 Profile Of Selected Offence Categories……………………………..……………………… 117 Section 10 Family Incidents……………………………………………………………………….………… 131 Section 11 Missing Persons…………………………………………………………………………..…… 139 Appendix…………………………………………………………………….…………………… 145 Victoria Police Crime Statistics 2013/14 1 Copyright 2014, Victoria Police. ISSN 1325-1430 Price $50.00 (inclusive of GST) 2 Victoria Police Crime Statistics 2013/14 INTRODUCTION This publication contains detailed statistics on crime Information contained in this publication relates only to Reference: reported to or detected by Victoria Police for the fiscal year those crimes reported to or becoming known to police in ABS Estimated Resident Population Local Areas, ended 30 June 2014 together with comparisons with the Victoria. For additional information on crime victimisation, Victoria as at 30 June 2013 (Catalogue No. 3218.0) 2012/13 fiscal year. readers should refer to Victimisation Surveys conducted in Victoria on selected offences by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) during 2012/13 and 2011/12. The statistics have been compiled from information stored on the Victoria Police Law Enforcement Assistance Other Related Publications: Program (LEAP) database which was implemented on 1 For comparisons on recorded Victims of crimes between ABS Recorded Crime-Victims Australia March 1993. the various Australian States and Territories, readers (Catalogue No. 4510.0) should refer to the ABS publication, Recorded Crime - Victims Australia. ABS Crime Victimisation, Australia The document contains detailed information on crime, (Catalogue No.4530.0) victims, alleged offenders, family incidents, missing persons, vehicle theft, stolen property and other related As the information presented in this document is by no information together with the socio-demographic means exhaustive, any requests for additional information information on offenders and victims. In addition, it includes should be directed to the Chief Statistician, Corporate colour maps summarising offence frequencies by police Statistics. geographical locations within Victoria. Detailed crime counting, classification rules and definitions are included in the section entitled “DEFINITIONS AND EXPLANATORY NOTES” to provide assistance in the interpretation of statistics. Ms Uma Rao Chief Statistician The method of recording crime clearances was changed in Corporate Statistics the 2011/12 financial year in accordance with Corporate Strategy and Operational Improvement Department recommendations made by the Office of Police Integrity in Victoria Police the Report of investigation into Victoria Police crime GPO Box 913 records and statistical reporting (May 2011). Further details Melbourne 3001 Victoria Australia on this change can be found in the 2011/12 Crime Statistics Media Release, found on the Victoria Police Phone: (03) 9247 6703 website. Victoria Police Crime Statistics 2013/14 3 4 Victoria Police Crime Statistics 2013/14 DEFINITIONS AND EXPLANATORY NOTES On 1 March 1993 Victoria Police implemented the Law occurrence of the offence (e.g. two persons are assaulted Enforcement Assistance Program (LEAP) state-wide. The by three offenders - two offences of assault are recorded). LEAP data base is fully relational and stores particulars of For offences against statute such as possess and use all crimes brought to the notice of police as well as family drugs, the number of alleged offenders is the counting unit incidents and missing persons. It also includes details on (e.g. three offenders are found in possession of cannabis - locations, vehicles and persons involved. The database is three offences of possess cannabis are counted). For a on-line and updated constantly, 24 hours a day. small number of infrequent offences, such as piracy, the event itself becomes the counting unit, that is, one offence A copy of the LEAP database is downloaded each night for is counted for each incident of piracy. use by various areas of the Victoria Police to produce crime statistics and conduct data analysis. Only the most serious offence which best describes a distinct course of criminal conduct is recorded in official All data relating to crime, family incidents and missing crime statistics, even though an offender may be charged persons presented in this publication for the 2013/14 with other offences resulting from the one incident (e.g. an fiscal year has been obtained from the downloaded offender carrying a firearm commits an armed robbery – EFINITIONS version of the LEAP database on 18 July 2014. only the offence of armed robbery is recorded although the offender would be charged with armed robbery and possession of a firearm). AND EXPLANATORY NOTES CRIME COUNTING AND CLASSIFICATION The number of distinct courses of criminal conduct Offences Recorded: occurring within an incident will generally be one unless Consist of those offences recorded on LEAP between 1 there is a break in time and/or location. For example, if an July 2013 and 30 June 2014 regardless of when the offender presents three valueless cheques to a teller only offence occurred or when it was reported to police (over one offence would be recorded but if the three cheques 85% of all offences are recorded on LEAP within 48 hours were presented at different times or at different branches of being reported to police). then three offences would be recorded. Caution should be exercised when interpreting recorded Offences Cleared: crime statistics. Only those offences which become known Refers to all offences recorded on LEAP which have to police and for which a crime report has been completed resulted in: one or more alleged offenders being processed are included in this publication. for the offence, or an investigation reveals no offence Counting Rules: occurred, or the complaint was withdrawn or the perpetrator was known but for legal and other reasons Victoria Police uses three methods of counting crime could not be charged (e.g. under age or deceased). The depending on the particular offence. For all crime against definition no longer includes Intent to Summons, as the person, and most crime against property, the counting recommended by the Office of Police Integrity (see unit is the number of principal victims for each separate clearance rate section on following page). Victoria Police Crime Statistics 2013/14 5 DEFINITIONS AND EXPLANATORY NOTES Total Clearance Rate: Offence Categories: and for each offence counted in recorded offences The number of offences cleared between 1 July 2013 and There are in excess of 5000 individual statutory and (e.g. a person processed on three occasions will be counted three times). Only the offence in recorded 30 June 2014, regardless of when recorded, represented common law offences recorded on LEAP which have been as a ratio to the total offences recorded in the same period. grouped into 27 broad offence categories. These offences for which the offender has been processed The method of recording crime clearances changed in the categories are further subdivided into four general classes is included. 2011/12 financial year in accordance with of “Crime Against the Person”, “Crime Against Property”, recommendations made by the Office of Police Integrity in “Drug Offences” and “Other Crime”. Offences dealt with by Distinct Alleged Offenders: the Report of investigation into Victoria Police crime way of penalty notice and/or traffic offences are not Refers to the number of distinct individual offenders records and statistical reporting (May 2011). Comparisons recorded on LEAP and are not included in the official crime processed for the commission of an offence by to clearance rates published in previous years should not statistics. either, arrest, summons, caution, penalty notice, be made. Further details on this change can be found in official warning or warrant of apprehension between Homicide Statistics the 2013/14 Crime Statistics Media Release, found on the 1 July 2013 and 30 June 2014 regardless of when Victoria Police website. The offence category of Homicide is not restricted to the the offence occurred. Those individuals who for offence of murder but includes offences such as legal or other reasons were apprehended but were Single Year Clearances: manslaughter and culpable driving which also result in the not charged are also included. Individual offenders The number of offences recorded between 1 July 2013 and death of a person. The offence category of Homicide also are only counted for the first offence for which they 30 June 2014 which were cleared within the same period. includes attempts and other degrees of the offence. For a are processed in the fiscal year. Demographic They are also represented as a proportion of the total detailed breakdown of Homicide statistics, including profiles are based on age, sex and other personal offences recorded. murder, See Table 9.17. details as recorded