❓ The Minister for Police and Emergency Services reports a downward trend in crime statistics, highlighting decreases in various offences and initiatives to further reduce crime rates, particularly home burglaries. The government's investment in police resources and tougher penalties is emphasized.
AnsweredQoN 886Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Can the minister report to the House about recent crime statistics? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice of this question. Recently, the Australian Bureau of Statistics released reported crime statistics for 2002. Overall, in the areas of assault, sexual assault, armed robbery, unlawful entry with intent involving the taking of property - otherwise known as home burglary - and motor vehicle theft, crime rates are trending downwards. I am also pleased to report that the Western Australia Police Service statistics show that overall there has been a 2.7 per cent decrease in the total number of reported offences for the March 2003 quarter when compared with the same quarter last year. Police reported that there were 67 475 offences in the March 2003 quarter, compared with 69 323 in the March 2002 quarter. In particular, the number of reported offences for stolen motor vehicles is down by 11.8 per cent when compared with the same quarter in 2002. This decrease builds on an 11.7 per cent decrease for the December 2002 quarter and a 20.6 per cent decrease for the September 2002 quarter when compared with the previous year’s quarters. In fact, the recently released ABS crime and safety statistics for 2002 report that the prevalence rate for motor vehicle theft in 2002 was the lowest in Australia and 58.3 per cent less than it was in 1998! Although the March 2003 quarter statistics show that police still need to improve home burglary clearance rates to deter such crime, I am very pleased with the recent police initiatives that have seen some pretty impressive results. Assistant Commissioner Tim Atherton has been made the senior officer responsible for reducing this State’s burglary rate. He has made a commitment to reduce the rate below the national average and to make significant progress towards that goal within 12 months. To support the Police Service, the Government is on track to recruit over 1 000 officers in four years, delivering the extra 250 officers as promised. This Government has increased the police budget by $110 million since being elected to office and has delivered DNA laws that are the envy of every State in the nation. By the end of this financial year some 20 000 DNA samples will have been taken. This Government has made a commitment to support and resource our Police Service, and hopefully this downward trend in crime statistics will continue following the introduction of the Gallop Government’s tougher penalties and smarter policing to create safer communities. I table the March 2003 quarter reported offences and clearance statistics, the ABS crime and safety report and the ABS reported crime report. [See papers Nos 1274 to 1277.]
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. Recently, the Australian Bureau of Statistics released reported crime statistics for 2002. Overall, in the areas of assault, sexual assault, armed robbery, unlawful entry with intent involving the taking of property - otherwise known as home burglary - and motor vehicle theft, crime rates are trending downwards. I am also pleased to report that the Western Australia Police Service statistics show that overall there has been a 2.7 per cent decrease in the total number of reported offences for the March 2003 quarter when compared with the same quarter last year. Police reported that there were 67 475 offences in the March 2003 quarter, compared with 69 323 in the March 2002 quarter. In particular, the number of reported offences for stolen motor vehicles is down by 11.8 per cent when compared with the same quarter in 2002. This decrease builds on an 11.7 per cent decrease for the December 2002 quarter and a 20.6 per cent decrease for the September 2002 quarter when compared with the previous year’s quarters. In fact, the recently released ABS crime and safety statistics for 2002 report that the prevalence rate for motor vehicle theft in 2002 was the lowest in Australia and 58.3 per cent less than it was in 1998! Although the March 2003 quarter statistics show that police still need to improve home burglary clearance rates to deter such crime, I am very pleased with the recent police initiatives that have seen some pretty impressive results. Assistant Commissioner Tim Atherton has been made the senior officer responsible for reducing this State’s burglary rate. He has made a commitment to reduce the rate below the national average and to make significant progress towards that goal within 12 months. To support the Police Service, the Government is on track to recruit over 1 000 officers in four years, delivering the extra 250 officers as promised. This Government has increased the police budget by $110 million since being elected to office and has delivered DNA laws that are the envy of every State in the nation. By the end of this financial year some 20 000 DNA samples will have been taken. This Government has made a commitment to support and resource our Police Service, and hopefully this downward trend in crime statistics will continue following the introduction of the Gallop Government’s tougher penalties and smarter policing to create safer communities. I table the March 2003 quarter reported offences and clearance statistics, the ABS crime and safety report and the ABS reported crime report. [See papers Nos 1274 to 1277.]
I thank the member for some notice of this question. Recently, the Australian Bureau of Statistics released reported crime statistics for 2002. Overall, in the areas of assault, sexual assault, armed robbery, unlawful entry with intent involving the taking of property - otherwise known as home burglary - and motor vehicle theft, crime rates are trending downwards. I am also pleased to report that the Western Australia Police Service statistics show that overall there has been a 2.7 per cent decrease in the total number of reported offences for the March 2003 quarter when compared with the same quarter last year. Police reported that there were 67 475 offences in the March 2003 quarter, compared with 69 323 in the March 2002 quarter. In particular, the number of reported offences for stolen motor vehicles is down by 11.8 per cent when compared with the same quarter in 2002. This decrease builds on an 11.7 per cent decrease for the December 2002 quarter and a 20.6 per cent decrease for the September 2002 quarter when compared with the previous year’s quarters. In fact, the recently released ABS crime and safety statistics for 2002 report that the prevalence rate for motor vehicle theft in 2002 was the lowest in Australia and 58.3 per cent less than it was in 1998! Although the March 2003 quarter statistics show that police still need to improve home burglary clearance rates to deter such crime, I am very pleased with the recent police initiatives that have seen some pretty impressive results. Assistant Commissioner Tim Atherton has been made the senior officer responsible for reducing this State’s burglary rate. He has made a commitment to reduce the rate below the national average and to make significant progress towards that goal within 12 months. To support the Police Service, the Government is on track to recruit over 1 000 officers in four years, delivering the extra 250 officers as promised. This Government has increased the police budget by $110 million since being elected to office and has delivered DNA laws that are the envy of every State in the nation. By the end of this financial year some 20 000 DNA samples will have been taken. This Government has made a commitment to support and resource our Police Service, and hopefully this downward trend in crime statistics will continue following the introduction of the Gallop Government’s tougher penalties and smarter policing to create safer communities. I table the March 2003 quarter reported offences and clearance statistics, the ABS crime and safety report and the ABS reported crime report. [See papers Nos 1274 to 1277.]
Although the March 2003 quarter statistics show that police still need to improve home burglary clearance rates to deter such crime, I am very pleased with the recent police initiatives that have seen some pretty impressive results. Assistant Commissioner Tim Atherton has been made the senior officer responsible for reducing this State’s burglary rate. He has made a commitment to reduce the rate below the national average and to make significant progress towards that goal within 12 months. To support the Police Service, the Government is on track to recruit over 1 000 officers in four years, delivering the extra 250 officers as promised. This Government has increased the police budget by $110 million since being elected to office and has delivered DNA laws that are the envy of every State in the nation. By the end of this financial year some 20 000 DNA samples will have been taken. This Government has made a commitment to support and resource our Police Service, and hopefully this downward trend in crime statistics will continue following the introduction of the Gallop Government’s tougher penalties and smarter policing to create safer communities. I table the March 2003 quarter reported offences and clearance statistics, the ABS crime and safety report and the ABS reported crime report. [See papers Nos 1274 to 1277.]
This Government has made a commitment to support and resource our Police Service, and hopefully this downward trend in crime statistics will continue following the introduction of the Gallop Government’s tougher penalties and smarter policing to create safer communities. I table the March 2003 quarter reported offences and clearance statistics, the ABS crime and safety report and the ABS reported crime report. [See papers Nos 1274 to 1277.]
[See papers Nos 1274 to 1277.]
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. Recently, the Australian Bureau of Statistics released reported crime statistics for 2002. Overall, in the areas of assault, sexual assault, armed robbery, unlawful entry with intent involving the taking of property - otherwise known as home burglary - and motor vehicle theft, crime rates are trending downwards. I am also pleased to report that the Western Australia Police Service statistics show that overall there has been a 2.7 per cent decrease in the total number of reported offences for the March 2003 quarter when compared with the same quarter last year. Police reported that there were 67 475 offences in the March 2003 quarter, compared with 69 323 in the March 2002 quarter. In particular, the number of reported offences for stolen motor vehicles is down by 11.8 per cent when compared with the same quarter in 2002. This decrease builds on an 11.7 per cent decrease for the December 2002 quarter and a 20.6 per cent decrease for the September 2002 quarter when compared with the previous year’s quarters. In fact, the recently released ABS crime and safety statistics for 2002 report that the prevalence rate for motor vehicle theft in 2002 was the lowest in Australia and 58.3 per cent less than it was in 1998! Although the March 2003 quarter statistics show that police still need to improve home burglary clearance rates to deter such crime, I am very pleased with the recent police initiatives that have seen some pretty impressive results. Assistant Commissioner Tim Atherton has been made the senior officer responsible for reducing this State’s burglary rate. He has made a commitment to reduce the rate below the national average and to make significant progress towards that goal within 12 months. To support the Police Service, the Government is on track to recruit over 1 000 officers in four years, delivering the extra 250 officers as promised. This Government has increased the police budget by $110 million since being elected to office and has delivered DNA laws that are the envy of every State in the nation. By the end of this financial year some 20 000 DNA samples will have been taken. This Government has made a commitment to support and resource our Police Service, and hopefully this downward trend in crime statistics will continue following the introduction of the Gallop Government’s tougher penalties and smarter policing to create safer communities. I table the March 2003 quarter reported offences and clearance statistics, the ABS crime and safety report and the ABS reported crime report. [See papers Nos 1274 to 1277.]
I thank the member for some notice of this question. Recently, the Australian Bureau of Statistics released reported crime statistics for 2002. Overall, in the areas of assault, sexual assault, armed robbery, unlawful entry with intent involving the taking of property - otherwise known as home burglary - and motor vehicle theft, crime rates are trending downwards. I am also pleased to report that the Western Australia Police Service statistics show that overall there has been a 2.7 per cent decrease in the total number of reported offences for the March 2003 quarter when compared with the same quarter last year. Police reported that there were 67 475 offences in the March 2003 quarter, compared with 69 323 in the March 2002 quarter. In particular, the number of reported offences for stolen motor vehicles is down by 11.8 per cent when compared with the same quarter in 2002. This decrease builds on an 11.7 per cent decrease for the December 2002 quarter and a 20.6 per cent decrease for the September 2002 quarter when compared with the previous year’s quarters. In fact, the recently released ABS crime and safety statistics for 2002 report that the prevalence rate for motor vehicle theft in 2002 was the lowest in Australia and 58.3 per cent less than it was in 1998! Although the March 2003 quarter statistics show that police still need to improve home burglary clearance rates to deter such crime, I am very pleased with the recent police initiatives that have seen some pretty impressive results. Assistant Commissioner Tim Atherton has been made the senior officer responsible for reducing this State’s burglary rate. He has made a commitment to reduce the rate below the national average and to make significant progress towards that goal within 12 months. To support the Police Service, the Government is on track to recruit over 1 000 officers in four years, delivering the extra 250 officers as promised. This Government has increased the police budget by $110 million since being elected to office and has delivered DNA laws that are the envy of every State in the nation. By the end of this financial year some 20 000 DNA samples will have been taken. This Government has made a commitment to support and resource our Police Service, and hopefully this downward trend in crime statistics will continue following the introduction of the Gallop Government’s tougher penalties and smarter policing to create safer communities. I table the March 2003 quarter reported offences and clearance statistics, the ABS crime and safety report and the ABS reported crime report. [See papers Nos 1274 to 1277.]
Although the March 2003 quarter statistics show that police still need to improve home burglary clearance rates to deter such crime, I am very pleased with the recent police initiatives that have seen some pretty impressive results. Assistant Commissioner Tim Atherton has been made the senior officer responsible for reducing this State’s burglary rate. He has made a commitment to reduce the rate below the national average and to make significant progress towards that goal within 12 months. To support the Police Service, the Government is on track to recruit over 1 000 officers in four years, delivering the extra 250 officers as promised. This Government has increased the police budget by $110 million since being elected to office and has delivered DNA laws that are the envy of every State in the nation. By the end of this financial year some 20 000 DNA samples will have been taken. This Government has made a commitment to support and resource our Police Service, and hopefully this downward trend in crime statistics will continue following the introduction of the Gallop Government’s tougher penalties and smarter policing to create safer communities. I table the March 2003 quarter reported offences and clearance statistics, the ABS crime and safety report and the ABS reported crime report. [See papers Nos 1274 to 1277.]
This Government has made a commitment to support and resource our Police Service, and hopefully this downward trend in crime statistics will continue following the introduction of the Gallop Government’s tougher penalties and smarter policing to create safer communities. I table the March 2003 quarter reported offences and clearance statistics, the ABS crime and safety report and the ABS reported crime report. [See papers Nos 1274 to 1277.]
[See papers Nos 1274 to 1277.]
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