AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

TOTAL OFFENDERS

In 2017–18, there were 2,725 offenders proceeded against by police in the Australian Capital Territory. This was relatively stable compared to the previous year with a decrease of 1% (or 37 offenders) since 2016–17. (Table 6)

• This was the lowest number of offenders for the Australian Capital Territory since the beginning of the time series in 2008–09.
• The offender rate was also at its lowest level since 2008–09 with 756 offenders per 100,000 persons. (Table 14)

The Australian Capital Territory has had the lowest offender rate across all states and territories annually since the beginning of the time series. (Tables 7–14)


SEX

In the Australian Capital Territory, between 2016–17 and 2017–18, the number of:

• male offenders decreased by 5% from 2,218 to 2,100 offenders
• female offenders increased by 14% from 542 to 620 offenders (Table 14)

PRINCIPAL OFFENCE

In 2017–18, the three most common principal offences in the Australian Capital Territory were:

• Acts intended to cause injury (25% or 693 offenders)
• Illicit drug offences (19% or 506 offenders)
• Public order offences (16% or 432 offenders) (Table 6)

These principal offences comprised more than half (60%) of the offender count in the Australian Capital Territory. (Table 6)

Since the beginning of the time series in 2008–09, the number of offenders with a principal offence of Illicit drug offences has more than doubled, from 239 to 506 offenders. The offender rate for this offence has also increased from the beginning of the time series, from 78 offenders per 100,000 persons in 2008–09 to 141 offenders per 100,000 in 2017–18. (Table 14)

OFFENDERS, Principal offence of Illicit drug offences, Australian Capital Territory

Australian Bureau of Statistics
© Commonwealth of Australia 2019


YOUTH OFFENDERS

In 2017–18, there were 321 youth offenders in the Australian Capital Territory. The youth offender rate was 870 offenders per 100,000 persons. (Table 20)

Acts intended to cause injury was the most common principal offence recorded for youth offenders in 2017–18. (Table 20)


POLICE PROCEEDINGS

In 2017–18, there were a total of 3,567 police proceedings in the Australian Capital Territory; 74% of offenders were proceeded against via court action. Acts intended to cause injury accounted for the largest proportion of court actions, accounting for 28% (or 726 proceedings). (Table 32)

In 2017–18, the number of non-court proceedings reached its lowest levels since the time series began in 2008–09 with 937 proceedings, which was a 35% (or 512 proceedings) decrease since the beginning of the time series. (Table 32)