Crime Rates (Mostly) Down

20151015 Police Statistics — Police Commissioner Ian Stewart and Police Minister Jo-Ann Miller release the report on Thursday (Photo: QPS)

October 15, 2015

Statistics released on Thursday by the State Government show crime rates in the Southern Police Region – which includes most of the South Burnett – are generally down.

The main exceptions are fraud (up 64 per cent), Weapons Act offences (up 32 per cent), drug offences (up 25 per cent) and breaches of Domestic Violence Orders (up 10 per cent).

However, these trends are also reflected across the rest of Queensland.

The Queensland Police Service Annual Statistical Review, which provides a snapshot of crime rates and trends across the State, was released by Police Minister Jo-Ann Miller and Police Commissioner Ian Stewart.

“Queensland continues to be a safer place to live, work and visit than it was 10 years ago,” Ms Miller said.

“The crime rate has dropped by 12 per cent since 2005-6, continuing its decade-long downward trend.

“Year on year, 2014-15 saw crime remain relatively stable, with just a small increase of 0.4 per cent overall.

“We saw a 2.8 per cent drop in offences against the person and a 5.4 per cent drop in offences against property.

“While the ‘other’ offences category has increased 6.7 per cent, these include things like drug and public nuisance offences which are generally detected by police rather than reported by the public.

“This demonstrates a proactive commitment to policing across Queensland.”

Ms Miller said there had been significant reductions in the rate of a number of serious offences across Queensland.

“We’ve seen a drop in armed robberies and assaults as well as unlawful use of a motor vehicle and unlawful entry offences,” she said.

She said it was not surprising to see an increase in the rate of drug offences given that over the past five years, the weight of police seizures of methamphetamines had increased more than 100 per cent.

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In the Southern Region (which includes most of southern Queensland, including the South Burnett):

Offences against the person were down 2 per cent

Grievous assaults dropped 10 per cent, common assaults dropped 9 per cent but serious assaults rose 2 per cent

Sexual offences dropped 2 per cent

Armed robberies dropped 17 per cent but unarmed robberies rose 7 per cent

Offences against property dropped 5 per cent

Unlawful entry dropped 20 per cent

Arson was up 10 per cent

Other property damage down 15 per cent

Unlawful use of a motor vehicle offences were down 18 per cent

Fraud was up 64 per cent (NB. This was the highest rate in any Region in Queensland)

Handling stolen goods was up 6 per cent

Drug offences rose 25 per cent

Breaches of Domestic Violence Orders rose 10 per cent

Weapons Act Offences rose 32 per cent (NB. The highest rate in Queensland)

Good order offences were up 3 per cent, and

Traffic offences down 8 per cent

* * *

South West District

Most of the South Burnett is in the South West District of the Southern Region.

This District covers an area west to Windorah, north to Muttaburra, south to the NSW border and east to Blackbutt.

Reported in the South West Police District during 2014-15 were:

Three homicides, 605 assaults (including 14 grievous assaults, 379 serious assaults and 212 common assaults)

188 sexual offences (including 50 rapes or attempted rapes)

Three armed robberies, six unarmed robberies, nine kidnappings or abductions, 16 stalkings, 89 life-endangering acts and 1033 offences against the person

735 unlawful entries, 330 unlawful entries with intent (including 18 with violence), 43 unlawful entries of a shop, 1642 thefts (including 447 from vehicles, 170 from dwellings and 182 shop stealing)

132 unlawful use of a motor vehicle, 487 fraud offences (including two computer fraud, six cheque fraud, 112 credit card fraud and 103 identity fraud), 133 handling stolen goods

212 trespassing or vagrancy offences, 141 stock offences, 258 Weapons Act offences (including five possess concealable firearm)

1539 traffic offences (including 50 dangerous operation of a vehicle, 1074 drink driving and 414 disqualified driving), 2012 good order offences (including 1080 public nuisance)

2416 drug offences (including six trafficking and 850 possess drugs), 505 breaches of Domestic Violence Orders

(Comparison figures for other Police Districts and clearance rates can be downloaded at the end of this report)

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Queensland Summary

Overall Queensland crime has remained relatively stable, with a small increase of 0.4 per cent.

Offences against the person:

Overall rate of offences against the person dropped 2.8 per cent

The number of homicides rose from 42 in 2013-14 to 53 in 2014-15

The assault rate decreased by 2.9 per cent

The number of assaults on police fell from 1495 to 1344

The number of rape and attempted rape offences increased from 1462 to 1697 – an increase of 14.2 per cent; the rate of other sexual offences increased by 6.6 per cent

Robberies dropped 17.7 per cent. Armed robbery offences decreased from 866 to 684 (21.9 per cent drop)

1.8 per cent rise in the rate of kidnapping and abduction offences when adjusted for population growth

Offences against property:

The rate of overall property offences dropped 5.4 per cent

The rate of unlawful entry offences decreased by 15.9 per cent (a decrease of 5430 offences). There was a 19.1 per cent drop in unlawful entry of dwellings and a 6.7 per cent fall in unlawful entry into other premises. Unlawful entry of shops fell 25.7 per cent

Arson offences fell by 59 offences (6.3 per cent)

The rate of other property damage offences fell 13.1 per cent when adjusted for population growth

Unlawful use of motor vehicle fell from 10,292 offences to 9145 offences

The rate of other theft fell by 3.6 per cent

The overall rate of fraud offences rose 26 per cent when adjusted for population growth. Computer fraud was down by 94 offences and cheque fraud fell by 32.9 per cent, credit card fraud rose 20.2 per cent, identity fraud rose 52.9 per cent and other fraud rose 36.2 per cent

Other offences: