A Snapshot of Crime in Queensland CRIMINAL JUSTICE COMMISSION Research Paper Series Volume 5, Number 1 February 1999 ISSN: 1327-9637 Introduction This paper has been prepared to assist in informing the Queensland public about the extent and nature of crime in the State. Issues addressed are: • What are the main crime trends in Queensland? paper • Which areas of Queensland have the highest crime research rates? • Which groups are most at risk? What are theinside main crime trends in • Who are the offenders? Queensland? ......................................... 2 Offences against the person .................... 2 Offences against property ....................... 2 • What crimes are of most concern at the local level? Other offences .......................................... 3 Which areas of Queensland have • How does Queensland compare to other jurisdictions? the highest crime rates?........................ 4 Offences against the person .................... 4 Residential break and enter ..................... 4 The paper draws primarily on recorded crime statistics Which groups are most at risk? ........... 4 compiled by the Queensland Police Service (QPS) and crime Who are the offenders? ........................ 7 victimisation surveys undertaken by bodies such as the What crimes are of most concern Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and the Queensland at the local level? ................................. 7 Government Statistician’s Office (GSO). The advantages and How does Queensland compare to limitations of each type of data are briefly summarised on other jurisdictions? ............................... 7 Information sources ............................. 8 page 8. Key findings ........................................ 9 Acknowledgments The CJC acknowledges the assistance of the QPS in providing unpublished data for this paper, which was originally prepared for the Queensland Government’s Crime Prevention Task Force. CRIMINAL JUSTICE COMMISSION 1 What are the main crime practices — has remained reasonably stable at about 2 per 100,000 population. trends in Queensland? • The rate of reported rapes/attempted rapes increased Police-recorded crime statistics are the main source from 12 per 100,000 population in 1989–90 to 17 of trend measures because these are the only data in 1996–97 — a rise of 42 per cent.1 However, this which are collected continuously. Crime trends are trend may be due, at least in part, to the greater normally expressed in terms of the number of willingness of victims to report such offences to offences per 100,000 people, rather than just the total police. number of offences recorded in any given year. This • The rate for armed robbery rose by 112 per cent — adjustment takes account of the effect of population up from 17 per 100,000 population in 1989–90 growth and enables us to see if the risk of being a to 36 per 100,000 in 1997–98. This increase victim has changed over time. appears to have been accompanied by a shift from ‘hard’ targets such as banks to ‘softer’ targets Figures 1 to 5 below show trends in selected offence such as convenience stores and newsagents. categories for the period 1989–90 to 1997–98. Police data are available prior to 1989 but there are doubts about the reliability and comparability of some of Offences against property the statistics for earlier years. In addition, particularly The category of offences against property for sexual offences and assaults, the longer the encompasses breaking and entering, motor vehicle period, the greater the probability that trends will be theft, other stealing, property damage and fraud. distorted by changes in victim reporting behaviour and police recording practices. 1 Owing to a change in the legal definition of rape, 1997–98 data are not comparable with earlier years. Offences against the person The category of crimes against the person encompasses homicide, assault, sexual offences and FIGURE 1: RATE OF REPORTED OFFENCES AGAINST THE robbery. By far the most common recorded offence PERSON PER 100,000 POPULATION (QLD, 1989–90 TO 1997–98) within this category is ‘assault’, which accounts for 900 about 65 per cent of all recorded offences against 800 the person. The next largest category is ‘other sexual 700 offences’ (indecent assault, offences against children, 600 wilful and obscene exposure etc.), which accounts 500 for about 15 per cent of offences against the person. 400 As can be seen from figure 1, there has been a marked 300 upward trend in the rate of offences against the 200 Rate per 100,000 population person recorded since 1989–90, although the rate of 100 growth has slowed since 1993–94. 0 1990-91 1992-93 1994-95 1996-97 Reported assaults show a slight downward trend in 1989-90 1991-92 1993-94 1995-96 1997-98 Year the last two years (figure 2). However, the 1997–98 rate is still well above the level of 1989–90. Part of Source: QPS Statistical Reviews 1996–97 and 1997–98. the increase in recorded assaults over the last decade may have been due to changed reporting and FIGURE 2: RATE OF REPORTED ASSAULT OFFENCES PER recording practices; for instance, there is 100,000 POPULATION (QLD, 1989–90 TO 1997–98) considerable anecdotal evidence that police are now 600 more likely than previously to record domestic incidents as assaults. However, other indicators — 500 such as hospital admission statistics and periodic 400 crime victims surveys — also show an increase, suggesting strongly that there has been some rise in 300 the actual incidence of assault (CJC 1997). 200 Other notable trends in relation to crimes against the Rate per 100,000 population person over the period 1989–90 to 1997–98 are as 100 follows: 0 1990-91 1992-93 1994-95 1996-97 • The murder rate — which has been largely 1989-90 1991-92 1993-94 1995-96 1997-98 unaffected by changes in recording or reporting Year Source: QPS Statistical Reviews 1996–97 and 1997–98. 2 research paper FEBRUARY 1999 The largest offence groups in this category are For other offences against property, the main ‘stealing excluding motor vehicles’ (which accounts statewide trends have been: for around 40% of all reported property offences), • motor vehicle theft — little change in the break and enter (30%) and property damage (15%). underlying rate for most of the 1990s and a 13 per With the exception of the offence of fraud, trends in cent drop in 1997–98 recorded property offences are generally less sensitive to changes in reporting and recording • stealing — little change in the rate during the practices than are offences against the person. 1990s • property damage — a substantial increase in the rate As shown by figure 3, the overall property crime rate in the first half of the decade, but a levelling off has increased only gradually since 1990–91. since then. Figure 4 shows an oscillating upward trend in the rate of break and enters of residential dwellings, but Other offences the rate for other break and enters (which includes The category of ‘other offences’ encompasses drug commercial premises, public buildings, and out offences, traffic and related offences, offences against buildings) has declined steadily since its peak in good order (resisting or hindering police, disorderly 1990–91. This may indicate that residential dwellings conduct and language offences), and offences such present softer and/or more lucrative targets to as trespassing and prostitution. The number of ‘other burglars, but more research is required to confirm offences’ recorded is determined to a considerable this. extent by the level of police enforcement activity, whereas property offences and offences against the FIGURE 3: RATE OF REPORTED OFFENCES AGAINST person are normally notified by members of the PROPERTY PER 100,000 POPULATION (QLD, public. 1989–90 TO 1997–98) 8000 Drug offences are the most common form of ‘other 7000 offences’. Most drug arrests are for possession of 6000 drugs and/or items for use in consuming drugs, with 2 5000 cannabis typically being the drug seized by police. 4000 Figure 5 shows that the rate of ‘other offences’ has 3000 increased steadily through the 1990s, although there 2000 was only a small increase between 1996–97 and Rate per 100,000 population 1000 1997–98. (Infringement notices were introduced for 0 some traffic offences in late 1991, but these are not 1990-91 1992-93 1994-95 1996-97 included in police crime statistics.) 1989-90 1991-92 1993-94 1995-96 1997-98 Year Source: QPS Statistical Reviews 1996–97 and 1997–98. Note: Owing to legislative changes, 1997–98 data includes ‘handling stolen goods’ offences in ‘property’ offences. 2 Source: Various correspondence from QPS. FIGURE 4: RATE OF REPORTED BREAK AND ENTER FOR FIGURE 5: RATE OF ‘OTHER OFFENCES’ PER 100,000 DWELLINGS AND ALL OTHER PREMISES PER 100,000 POPULATION (QLD, 1989–90 TO 1997–98) POPULATION (QLD, 1989–90 TO 1997–98) 2000 1500 1500 1000 1000 500 500 Rate per 100,000 population Rate per 100,000 population 0 0 1990-91 1992-93 1994-95 1996-97 1990-91 1992-93 1994-95 1996-97 1989-90 1991-92 1993-94 1995-96 1997-98 1989-90 1991-92 1993-94 1995-96 1997-98 Year Year Break and enter: dwelling Source: QPS Statistical Reviews 1990–91 to 1997–98. Break and enter: all other Notes: 1. Owing to legislative changes, 1997–98 data excludes ‘handling stolen goods’ offences from ‘other’ offences. Source: QPS Statistical Reviews 1990–91 to 1996–97 and unpublished data from QPS. 2. Excludes traffic and related offences. CRIMINAL JUSTICE COMMISSION 3 The most notable trends in ‘other offences’ are as In part, the high rates for Brisbane City and Surfers follows: Paradise reflect the large number of licensed • The rate of drug offences increased from 365 per premises and the considerable amount of nightlife 100,000 population in 1989–90 to 992 in 1997–98; in these areas.