1307.8 - Australian Capital Territory in Focus, 2006  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 12/09/2006   
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Contents >> Crime and Justice

CRIME AND JUSTICE




POLICE

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) is unique among Australian states and territories in the way policing is conducted by the Australian Federal Police (AFP). This is done via a policing arrangement between the Australian and ACT Governments.


The mission of ACT Policing is to keep the peace and preserve public safety within the ACT. The policing arrangement requires ACT Policing to achieve one key outcome, in partnership with the community, create a safer and more secure Australian Capital Territory.


Staffing

The ACT Policing, Annual Report, 2004-05 defines the ACT Policing Executive structure as being comprised of:

  • a Chief Police Officer;
  • a Deputy Chief Police Officer - Investigations and Support;
  • a Deputy Chief Police Officer - Response; and
  • a Director Corporate Services.

ACT police staff consist of sworn and unsworn staff. Sworn police staff, who made up about three-quarters (76%) of ACT police staff during 2004-05, are those who have been through relevant training and can execute police powers, including the power to arrest, summons, caution, detain, fingerprint and search. Unsworn police staff provide specialist support and enabling functions.


According to the Productivity Commission's Report on Government Services (ROGS) 2006, the number of sworn police staff in the ACT increased by 3% between 2000-01 and 2004-05. The number of unsworn police staff increased by 6% over the same period.

9.1 SWORN AND UNSWORN POLICE STAFF(a)(b) - ACT

Sworn staff
Unsworn staff
no.
no.

2000-01
591
185
2001-02
584
197
2002-03
594
205
2003-04
618
191
2004-05
606
196

(a) Comprises all FTE staff.
(b) In the ACT, civilianisation of support functions occurred throughout 2000-01 with the communications 'centre' now being substantially staffed by unsworn staff. In addition, as a result of a comprehensive review of enabling costs applicable to ACT Policing in 2000-01, the formula previously applied to the calculation for staffing and expenditure data has been significantly revised.
Source: Report on Government Services 2006, Productivity Commission.


The ROGS 2006 also indicated that the proportion of female police staff nationally (sworn and unsworn) has risen slightly in recent years from 28% in 2000-01 to 30% in 2004-05. Across states and territories for 2004-05, the proportion of female police staff ranged from 33% in New South Wales to 23% in Western Australia.



OFFENCES AND OFFENDERS

Reported offences

Crimes recorded by police are offences that became known to police and are recorded by them. These offences may have been reported by a victim, witness or other person, or may have been detected by police.


However, these statistics do not provide the total picture: ABS household-based crime and safety surveys reveal that many crimes are not reported to the police. In particular, surveys show that personal crimes such as assault and sexual assault are much less likely to be reported to police than property crimes. In addition, reporting rates can change over time.


Care should also be taken in interpreting changes in police statistics. Changes in recorded crime may reflect changes in:

  • community attitudes to reporting crime,
  • policing resources and strategies, and/or
  • crime recording systems,

rather than changes in the incidence of criminal behaviour.


According to the ACT Policing, Annual Report, 2004-05, some 39,288 offences were reported to police during that financial year. This is a 12% decrease from the 44,564 reported offences shown in the 2003-04 report. The total number of offences cleared (processed) by the police during 2004-05 was 13,670, an 11% decrease from the 2003-04 figure (15,388). Offences cleared during a time period may not necessarily relate to those offences reported in the same time period. They could relate to offences reported in previous time periods.


Other theft (12,296), Property damage (7,383), Other offences not elsewhere classified (5,417) and Burglary (4,406) recorded the largest number of reported offences in 2004-05, while, Blackmail and extortion (3), Homicide and related offences (8) and Environmental offences (11) recorded the lowest.


Offenders

There were a total of 11,373 offenders recorded in the ACT for 2004-05. Of these offenders, 9,467 (83%) were male and 1,906 (17%) were female.


The category with the highest number of male offenders was Other offences not elsewhere classified (3,108, or 33% of male offenders). This was followed by Offences against good order (2,299 or 24%) and Burglary, fraud and other offences of theft (2,135 or 23%).


The category with the highest number of female offenders during 2004-05 was Burglary, fraud and other offences of theft (584, or 31% of female offenders), followed by Offences against good order (516 or 27%) and Other offences not elsewhere classified (492 or 26%).


The number of total offenders in 2004-05 (11,373) decreased by 26% from 2003-04 (15,435). The number of male offenders decreased by 22% (from 12,176 in 2003-04), while the number of female offenders decreased by 42% (from 3,259 in 2003-04).

9.2 REPORTED OFFENCES, By offence and offenders, ACT
- 2004-05

Offences (no.)(a)
Offenders (no.)
Reported(b)
Cleared(c)
Male
Female
Total

Offences against the person
Homicide and related offences
8
9
3
-
3
Assaults (excluding sexual)
1 976
1 431
783
139
922
Sexual assaults/offences
297
197
89
-
89
Other offences
118
74
67
2
69
Total
2 399
1 711
942
141
1 083
Property damage and environmental offences
Property damage
7 383
719
444
72
516
Environmental offences
11
5
1
-
1
Total
7 394
724
445
72
517
Robbery and extortion
Robbery
235
83
71
9
80
Blackmail and extortion
3
2
1
-
1
Total
238
85
72
9
81
Burglary, fraud and other offences of theft
Burglary
4 406
336
349
38
387
Fraud and misappropriation
838
672
448
78
526
Handling stolen goods
217
247
242
60
302
Theft or illegal use of vehicle
2 387
186
171
16
187
Other theft
12 296
1 538
925
392
1 317
Total
20 144
2 979
2 135
584
2 719
Offences against good order
3 128
2 845
2 299
516
2 815
Drug offences
568
553
466
92
558
Other offences not elsewhere classified
5 417
4 773
3 108
492
3 600
All offences
39 288
13 670
9 467
1 906
11 373

- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)
(a) Offence classifications are based on the Australian National Offence Classifications (ANCO) (1985).
(b) Offences reported in Jervis Bay are excluded.
(c) Offences cleared do not necessarily relate to those offences reported in the time period.
Source: ACT Policing, Annual Report, 2004-2005.



DRUGS

There were 568 reported drug related offences in the ACT during 2004-05, a 12% decrease from 2003-04 (646). Over two-thirds of offences reported in 2004-05 were Possession or use of drugs (69%, or 393 offences), followed by Deal and traffic in drugs (19% or 107) and Manufacture and grow drugs (11% or 63).

9.3 DRUG OFFENCES(a) - ACT

2002-03
2003-04(b)
2004-05
no.
no.
no.

Possession or use of drugs
430
395
393
Deal and traffic in drugs
101
100
107
Manufacture and grow drugs
100
122
63
Other drug offences
11
29
5
Total offences
642
646
568

(a) Drug offences reported or becoming known to police.
(b) The data for 2003-04 are revised data from the ACT Policing, Annual Report, 2004-05.
Source: ACT Policing, Annual Reports, 2003-04 and 2004-05.


There was an 11% decrease in the total number of drug seizures in the ACT between 2003-04 (1,194) and 2004-05 (1,057). The drug seized most often in 2004-05 was Cannabis (562 seizures, or 53% of total drug seizures), followed by Amphetamines (182 seizures, or 17%).

9.4 DRUG SEIZURES IN THE ACT(a)(b)(c)

2002-03
2003-04(d)
2004-05
Number
Weight
Number
Weight
Number
Weight
Drug Type
no.
grams
no.
grams
no.
grams

Amphetamine
198
358
164
585
182
230
Cannabis
663
470 695
659
842 868
562
559 287
Cocaine
1
-
9
5
9
589
Heroin
91
285
96
268
47
84
LSD(e)
-
-
-
-
2
-
MDMA(f)
18
30
49
78
46
123
Non-drug(g)
166
1 029
122
577
82
1 115
Not for analysis
26
256
6
497
4
994
Other
105
795
75
363
97
10 975
Steroids
41
231
14
394
26
118
Total
1 309
. .
1 194
. .
1 057
. .

. . not applicable
- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)
(a) The figures include seizures awaiting analysis to confirm both weights and the presence of the illegal substance.
(b) Recorded weights and drug types may differ from those previously recorded. Net weight confirmed has been used where available, otherwise net weight estimated has been used. The weight value indicated may also include packaging.
(c) ACT Policing Drug Registry figures differ from those prepared for the Australian Federal Police as a whole. The ACT Drug Registry counts each individual drug package seized, whereas the national figures combine like drugs together.
(d) The 2003-04 data are revised data from the ACT Policing Annual Report 2004-05.
(e) Lysergic Acid Diethylamide.
(f) Amphetamine analogue generally known as 'ecstasy'.
(g) The non-drug category includes substances seized with suspicion of being a drug but after analysis was determined otherwise.
Source: ACT Policing, Annual Reports, 2003-04 and 2004-05.



PEOPLE ARRESTED

A total of 3,898 people were arrested in the ACT during 2004-05, a 27% increase from 2003-04 (3,071). Of those arrested in 2004-05, 84% were male (3,278) and 16% (620) were female.


Adults made up 90% (3,513) of all people arrested in 2004-05. Ten percent (368) of adults arrested were Indigenous.


Juveniles accounted for the remaining 10% (385) of people arrested in 2004-05. A quarter of juveniles arrested (25%, or 97 people) were Indigenous.

9.5 NUMBER OF PEOPLE ARRESTED - ACT

2001-02
2002-03(a)
2003-04(a)
2004-05
Male
Female
Total
Male
Female
Total
Male
Female
Total
Male
Female
Total

Juvenile
Indigenous
49
41
90
61
43
104
73
34
107
72
25
97
Non-Indigenous
226
79
305
257
94
351
239
103
342
202
86
288
Total
275
120
395
318
137
455
312
137
449
274
111
385
Adult
Indigenous
213
66
279
247
78
325
188
91
279
282
86
368
Non-Indigenous
2 531
385
2 916
2 759
415
3 174
1 809
534
2 343
2 722
423
3 145
Total
2 744
451
3 195
3 006
493
3 499
1 997
625
2 622
3 004
509
3 513
Total
3 019
571
3 590
3 324
630
3 954
2 309
762
3 071
3 278
620
3 898

(a) The data for 2002-03 and 2003-04 are revised data from the ACT Policing, Annual Report, 2004-05.
Source: ACT Policing, Annual Reports, 2003-04 and 2004-05.



PRISONERS

The ACT has two remand centres for unsentenced prisoners and a periodic detention centre. Periodic detention is a sentencing option which at the time of the 30 June 2005 National Prisoner Census was available only to NSW and ACT courts. People given periodic detention are in custody for two consecutive days in a week (periodic detainee week), and remain at liberty during the rest of the week. With the exception of some sentenced fine default only prisoners, people sentenced to full-time custody by ACT criminal courts are held in NSW prisons.


In 2005, the ACT had a total of 275 prisoners, which was similar to 2004 when the figure was 278. In 2005, the majority of prisoners were held in the ACT (59%, or 162 prisoners) with the remainder held in NSW (41%, or 113 prisoners). Of those prisoners held in the ACT, 61% (99 prisoners) were sentenced and 39% (63) were unsentenced.

9.6 NUMBER OF PRISONERS - 2005

ACT in ACT
ACT in NSW(a)
Total ACT
Australia(b)

Males
154
108
262
23 619
Females
8
5
13
1 734
Indigenous
17
9
26
5 656
Non-Indigenous
136
104
240
19 191
Unknown(c)
9
-
9
506
Sentenced
99
113
212
20 220
Unsentenced
63
-
63
5 133
All prisoners
162
113
275
25 353

- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)
(a) The majority of full-time prisoners sentenced in the ACT are held in NSW prisons.
(b) The ACT in NSW figures are a subset of the NSW figures and are not separately counted in the Australian totals.
(c) Refers to persons whose Indigenous status is unknown.
Source: Prisoners in Australia, 2005 (cat. no. 4517.0).


Imprisonment rates

In 2005, Victoria recorded the lowest imprisonment rate of 94 prisoners per 100,000 adult population, followed by the ACT (110 prisoners per 100,000 adult population). The Northern Territory recorded the highest imprisonment rate (576 prisoners per 100,000 adult population).


Between 2004 and 2005, the ACT, South Australia and Queensland recorded decreases in imprisonment rates of 2% or less. The other states and territories recorded increases in imprisonment rates, with Tasmania recording the largest of 22%.


Between 1995 and 2005, increases in imprisonment rates were recorded in all states and territories other than SA, where there was a slight decrease.

9.7 Imprisonment rates - 1995 and 2005
Graph: 9.7 Imprisonment rates—1995 and 2005




COMMUNITY-BASED CORRECTIONS

Community-based corrections orders are non-custodial orders under the authority of corrective services and include restricted movement, fine option, community service, parole, bail and sentenced probation.


In Australia, the average number of persons in community-based corrections on the first day of each month in 2005 was 53,846 people, an increase of 5% (2,797 persons) since 2004. In the ACT, the average number of persons in community-based corrections on the first day of each month for 2005 was 1,128, which was 26 people fewer than 2004 (1,102).


Nationally for 2005, the rate for persons in community-based corrections was 346 people per 100,000 adult population. The national male participation rate in community-based corrections was 574 per 100,000 adult male population, compared with 123 females per 100,000 adult female population.


The community-based correction rates in the ACT in 2005 were higher than the national rates. For persons in community-based corrections in the ACT the rate was 454 people per 100,000 adult population. The rate for males was 783 per 100,000 adult male population and for females it was 137 per 100,000 adult female population.

9.8 PERSONS IN COMMUNITY-BASED CORRECTIONS(a)(b)

ACT
Australia
no.
no.

MALES

2002
1 036
43 306
2003
989
41 337
2004
937
41 549
2005
954
43 985

FEMALES

2002
194
9 632
2003
167
9 080
2004
164
9 118
2005
174
9 714

PERSONS (c)

2002
1 230
53 203
2003
1 156
50 787
2004
1 102
51 049
2005
1 128
53 846

(a) Number on the first day of month calculated as a simple average, where the figures for each month are added and the total divided by twelve.
(b) The number of persons in community-based corrections includes those persons with breached or suspended orders.
(c) Includes persons whose sex is unknown.
Source: Corrective Services, Australia, December quarters 2004 and 2005 (cat. no. 4512.0).



PERIODIC DETENTION

Prisoners on periodic detention are required to be held in custody for only two consecutive days each week. Periodic detention is a form of custody currently only used in NSW and ACT.


Each day during 2005, there were on average 103 prisoners on periodic detention in the ACT, compared with an average daily number of 835 for NSW.


The rate of imprisonment for persons in periodic detention in the ACT was 41 per 100,000 adult population for 2005. In NSW that year it was 16 per 100,000 adult population. For 2004, the rates for the ACT and NSW were both lower at 38 per 100,000 population and 15 per 100,000 population respectively.

9.9 PERSONS IN PERIODIC DETENTION

Average Daily Number
Rate per 100,000 adult population
NSW
ACT
Total
NSW
ACT
no.
no.
no.
rate
rate

MALES

2002
831
66
897
33.7
55.5
2003
739
73
811
29.7
60.7
2004
687
89
775
27.3
73.7
2005
762
96
858
30.0
78.8

FEMALES

2002
68
4
72
2.7
3.6
2003
60
4
64
2.3
3.0
2004
62
4
66
2.4
3.3
2005
73
7
80
2.8
5.5

PERSONS

2002
899
70
969
17.9
29.0
2003
799
76
875
15.8
31.1
2004
749
93
842
14.6
37.8
2005
835
103
938
16.2
41.4

Source: Corrective Services, Australia, December quarters 2004 and 2005 (cat. no. 4512.0).



COURTS

Criminal court system

The ACT Supreme Court is the superior court of record in the ACT. It has unlimited civil and criminal jurisdiction and exercises an appellate and supervisory jurisdiction in respect of the Magistrates Court and Tribunals. The ACT Supreme Court consists of four resident Judges, 17 additional Judges (each of whose primary commission is as a Judge of the Federal Court of Australia) and a Master.


The ACT also has a Magistrates Court which has limited jurisdiction to hear and determine civil and criminal cases across a range of disputes, including:

  • offences under the criminal law
  • applications for domestic violence, personal and workplace protection orders
  • civil debt and damages, small claims, criminal injuries and worker's compensation
  • commercial tenancies.

The Magistrates Court's jurisdiction also includes the Coroner's Court and the Children's Court. The following Tribunals operate within the framework of the Magistrates Court:
  • Administrative Appeals Tribunal
  • Credit Tribunal
  • Discrimination Tribunal
  • Guardianship & Management of Property Tribunal
  • Mental Health Tribunal
  • Residential Tenancies Tribunal

A finalised defendant is a person or organisation for whom all charges have been formally completed so that the defendant ceases to be an item of work to be dealt with by the court. There were 144 finalised defendants in the ACT Higher Courts during 2004-05, an increase of 21% from 2003-04. Nationally, there was a decrease of 5% over the same period.

9.10 HIGHER COURTS, Finalised defendants(a)

ACT
Australia
no.
no.

1999-2000
190
19 212
2000-01
205
18 029
2001-02
171
17 997
2002-03
164
16 643
2003-04
119
17 315
2004-05
144
(b)16 523

(a) Includes defendants finalised by a bench warrant being issued for the reference periods 1999-2000 to 2001-02.
(b) Figure includes defendants with an unknown method of finalisation.
Source: Criminal Courts, Australia, 2004-05 (cat. no. 4513.0).


Court cases can be analysed by the duration or the time elapsed. For the ACT Higher Criminal Courts, the duration period which had the highest number of defendants finalised was the '26 and under 39 weeks' period with 39 individuals or 27% of the total ACT defendants. The 'Under 13 weeks' period had the least number (20 individuals, or 14% of the total).


In the ACT Higher Criminal Courts, the total finalised defendants (144) for 2004-05 was less than 1% of the national figure (16,523).

9.11 HIGHER CRIMINAL COURTS DEFENDANTS FINALISED, METHOD OF FINALISATION AND DURATION(a) - 2004-05

NSW
Vic.
Qld(b)
SA
WA
Tas.
NT
ACT
Aust.
no.
no.
no.
no.
no.
no.
no.
no.
no.

Acquitted
Under 13 weeks
12
-
20
3
-
4
3
-
42
13 and under 26 weeks
67
46
52
9
6
14
-
4
198
26 and under 39 weeks
76
58
62
6
22
8
6
9
247
39 and under 52 weeks
46
44
38
16
30
7
6
6
193
52 weeks and over
83
72
120
33
247
9
12
3
579
Total
284
220
292
67
305
42
27
22
1 259
Guilty finding by court
Under 13 weeks
4
5
18
7
-
17
-
-
51
13 and under 26 weeks
22
40
31
14
13
26
-
-
146
26 and under 39 weeks
60
77
50
15
31
18
-
3
254
39 and under 52 weeks
67
39
44
29
62
8
3
3
255
52 weeks and over
154
101
71
128
346
25
3
3
831
Total
307
262
214
193
452
94
6
9
1 537
Guilty plea by defendant
Under 13 weeks
422
408
1 445
98
809
164
120
17
3 483
13 and under 26 weeks
822
619
927
153
360
74
51
22
3 028
26 and under 39 weeks
492
319
988
82
126
21
42
21
2 091
39 and under 52 weeks
293
230
540
55
107
8
14
19
1 266
52 weeks and over
396
249
680
97
271
23
36
12
1 764
Total
2 425
1 825
4 580
485
1 673
290
263
91
11 632
Non-adjudicated defendants(c)
Under 13 weeks
61
3
76
63
66
22
8
3
302
13 and under 26 weeks
110
20
216
49
42
30
5
5
477
26 and under 39 weeks
49
19
247
19
29
16
12
6
397
39 and under 52 weeks
46
17
139
16
26
11
3
3
261
52 weeks and over
74
59
340
49
102
21
7
5
657
Total
340
118
1 018
196
265
100
35
22
2 094
Defendants finalised(d)
Under 13 weeks
499
416
1 559
171
875
207
131
20
3 878
13 and under 26 weeks
1 021
725
1 226
225
421
144
56
31
3 849
26 and under 39 weeks
677
473
1 347
122
208
63
60
39
2 989
39 and under 52 weeks
452
330
762
116
225
34
26
31
1 976
52 weeks and over
707
481
1 211
307
966
78
58
23
3 831
Total
3 356
2 425
6 105
941
2 695
526
331
144
16 523

- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)
(a) From initiation to finalisation.
(b) Excludes children treated as adults.
(c) Includes transfers.
(d) Includes defendants with an unknown method of finalisation.
Source: Criminal Courts, Australia, 2004-05 (cat. no. 4513.0).



BIBLIOGRAPHY


ABS

Recorded Crime Victims, Australia, 2004, cat. no. 4510.0.


Corrective Services, Australia, December Quarter 2004 and 2005, cat. no. 4512.0.


Criminal Courts, Australia, 2004-05, cat. no. 4513.0.


Prisoners in Australia, 2005, cat. no. 4517.0.



NON-ABS

Australian Capital Territory Department of Justice and Community Safety, Annual Report 2004-05, Volume 1, last viewed 11 August 2006, <http://www.jcs.act.gov.au/eLibrary/AnnualReports/>.

Australian Federal Police, ACT Policing, Annual Report 2004-05, last viewed 11 August 2006, <http://www.afp.gov.au/>.


Australian Federal Police, ACT Policing, Annual Report 2003-04, last viewed 11 August 2006, <http://www.afp.gov.au/>.

Productivity Commission, Report on Government Services 2006, last viewed 11 August 2006, <http://www.pc.gov.au/>.



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