❓ A parliamentary question regarding increases in non-residential burglaries, stealing, and assaults in the Perth Police District is answered by the Minister, who provides context by highlighting longer-term crime reduction trends and attributing recent increases to specific factors within the CBD.
AnsweredQoN 851Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
851. Hon Tom Stephens to the Attorney General representing the Minister for Police:
Apart from the State Government refusing to fund the extra police the community is demanding, how does the Government explain a 47 per cent jump in non-residential burglaries, a 6.2 per cent lift in stealing and an extra 61 assaults in the Perth Police District in the past year, as revealed in the Government's own crime statistics?
Apart from the State Government refusing to fund the extra police the community is demanding, how does the Government explain a 47 per cent jump in non-residential burglaries, a 6.2 per cent lift in stealing and an extra 61 assaults in the Perth Police District in the past year, as revealed in the Government's own crime statistics?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
8 November 2000
Response time
55 days
The Minister Replied:
The Hon Member should be aware that the Government has committed to funding an additional 200 officers over the next 4 years.
Non-Residential Burglaries
A significant reduction in the number of non-residential burglaries has been achieved in the Perth Police District in the last five years. In 1995-96, 2,587 of these offences were reported to the police. The number of offences has decreased each consecutive year to 1,091 in 1998-99. This represented a decrease of 58% (1,496 offences) between 1995-96 and 1998-99. Despite the 47% increase in non-residential burglaries in 1999-2000 compared to 1998-99, the number of offences in 1999-2000 (1,604 offences) was still 38% less than in 1995-96.
The majority of the increase in non-residential burglaries in 1999-2000 relates to criminal activity in and around the Perth Central Business District (CBD) and the West Perth business precincts. Most of the burglaries were committed upon multi-tenanted buildings. For some of these single break-ins there were up to 30 different tenants affected by that same initial criminal act. Recently, several persons responsible for some of the burglaries were apprehended and charged.
Stealing
Between 1995-96 and 1999-2000, the lowest number of stealing offences reported in the Perth Police District was 11,196 in 1998-99. This was 16.1% (2,144 offences) lower than the highest number reported in 1996-97 (13,340). Despite the 6.2% (694 offences) increase in stealing offences in 1999-2000 compared to 1998-99, the number of offences in 1999-2000 (11,890) was still 10.9% less than 1996-97. The number of offences in 1999-2000 was also less than that reported in 1995-96 and 1997-98.
In 1999-2000, over 50% of reported stealing offences were committed in the Perth CBD. The CBD was where most of the 6.2% increase in offences in the Perth Police District occurred. These offences involved shop stealing and the theft of personal property that was left unattended, including theft from parked motor vehicles.
Assault
The number of reported assaults increased by 3.8% (61 offences) from 1,612 in 1998-1999 to 1,673 in 1999-2000. Over 70% of assault offences in the Perth Police District occur in the CBD. In 1999-2000, 58 of the overall increase of 61 offences occurred in the CBD. The CBD includes major public transport and sporting facilities, and the entertainment precinct of Northbridge, that attract a large transient population. The size and complex interactions of such a population will produce variations in the incidence of assaults over time.
Please note that stealing is generally considered an offence of opportunity. Whereas, many assaults are committed by persons on the spur-of-the-moment. Under these circumstances it is sometimes difficult for the police to prevent the offences from occurring.
The Hon Member should be aware that the Government has committed to funding an additional 200 officers over the next 4 years.
Non-Residential Burglaries
A significant reduction in the number of non-residential burglaries has been achieved in the Perth Police District in the last five years. In 1995-96, 2,587 of these offences were reported to the police. The number of offences has decreased each consecutive year to 1,091 in 1998-99. This represented a decrease of 58% (1,496 offences) between 1995-96 and 1998-99. Despite the 47% increase in non-residential burglaries in 1999-2000 compared to 1998-99, the number of offences in 1999-2000 (1,604 offences) was still 38% less than in 1995-96.
The majority of the increase in non-residential burglaries in 1999-2000 relates to criminal activity in and around the Perth Central Business District (CBD) and the West Perth business precincts. Most of the burglaries were committed upon multi-tenanted buildings. For some of these single break-ins there were up to 30 different tenants affected by that same initial criminal act. Recently, several persons responsible for some of the burglaries were apprehended and charged.
Stealing
Between 1995-96 and 1999-2000, the lowest number of stealing offences reported in the Perth Police District was 11,196 in 1998-99. This was 16.1% (2,144 offences) lower than the highest number reported in 1996-97 (13,340). Despite the 6.2% (694 offences) increase in stealing offences in 1999-2000 compared to 1998-99, the number of offences in 1999-2000 (11,890) was still 10.9% less than 1996-97. The number of offences in 1999-2000 was also less than that reported in 1995-96 and 1997-98.
In 1999-2000, over 50% of reported stealing offences were committed in the Perth CBD. The CBD was where most of the 6.2% increase in offences in the Perth Police District occurred. These offences involved shop stealing and the theft of personal property that was left unattended, including theft from parked motor vehicles.
Assault
The number of reported assaults increased by 3.8% (61 offences) from 1,612 in 1998-1999 to 1,673 in 1999-2000. Over 70% of assault offences in the Perth Police District occur in the CBD. In 1999-2000, 58 of the overall increase of 61 offences occurred in the CBD. The CBD includes major public transport and sporting facilities, and the entertainment precinct of Northbridge, that attract a large transient population. The size and complex interactions of such a population will produce variations in the incidence of assaults over time.
Please note that stealing is generally considered an offence of opportunity. Whereas, many assaults are committed by persons on the spur-of-the-moment. Under these circumstances it is sometimes difficult for the police to prevent the offences from occurring.
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