CHRIS THOMSON
Western Australia recorded the nation’s largest drop in alleged criminal offenders in 2010/11 despite a chillingly high number of murders.
Australian Bureau of Statistics figures released today reveal a large, 17 per cent, fall between 2009-10 and 2010-11 in the number of alleged offenders against whom WA Police took action.
The great sandy state recorded the largest drop in both male (17 per cent) and female (18 per cent) offenders.
After 40,370 offenders were recorded in 2008/09, and 40,859 in 2009/10 there was a big drop off to 33,891 in 2010/11.
Murdoch University criminologist Guy Hall said the results were “fascinating” and could have been caused by several factors.
VOLATILE
He said offender statistics tended to be volatile from year to year, but that the dropoff might reflect a greater emphasis on crime prevention over the past five years.
“About now is when you would see results of those sorts of initiatives kick in,” Associate Professor Hall said.
“It may also be that the work the Department for Child Protection is doing with families at risk is starting to pay off.”
He said the reduction might also be down to WA Police changing the way they report offenders.
oneperth.com.au has contacted the police to check if this occurred.
Edith Cowan University criminology lecturer Natalie Gately agreed police reporting practices could be one of several possible reasons for the dropoff.
“If it is a genuine fall, there’s some possible explanations in the literature,” Mrs Gately said.
“A greater emphasis on frontline policing is a possibility.
“If you have more police on the street and they are more visible then there is less crime.”
ROOT CAUSES
Mrs Gately said increased government efforts toward keeping youths out of the court system, and addressing the root causes of crimes, could be another factor.
Recent drops in amphetamine use, and the comparatively strong WA economy, were other possible reasons.
The ABS figures counted multiple offenders only once, and both experts said inferring that a lower crime rate might result could not yet be done.
“Quite often, a small number of offenders are doing a large amount of the crime,” Mrs Gately warned.
MURDERS, ROBBERY, BLACKMAIL
Despite the drop in offenders, WA has no room for complacency.
The ABS figures reveal the state’s 115 murders in 2010/11 was the second highest number in Australia behind the 322 recorded in New South Wales.
Next on the list were Victoria and Queensland – both with much larger populations than WA – which recorded 99 homicides each.
WA recorded the highest offender rates per 100,000 people for robbery (27) and blackmail/extortion (12).
The Northern Territory had the highest offender rates for assault (1053 per 100,000 people), sexual assault (67), harassment and threatening behaviour (51) and dealing/trafficking illicit drugs (196).
