1301.0 - Year Book Australia, 2009–10  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 04/06/2010   
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Contents >> Crime and justice >> Outcomes of police investigations

OUTCOMES OF POLICE INVESTIGATIONS

Statistics about the outcomes of police investigations describe the status of the processes of police investigations that are initiated following the reporting or detection of an offence. At any point in time, the status of investigations can include:

  • not finalised (i.e. were still continuing, were pending or were suspended);
  • finalised without an offender being proceeded against because the reported offence was not verified, the complaint was withdrawn, or the alleged offender could not be proceeded against because of some statutory or procedural bar; and
  • finalised and an offender was proceeded against by initiating court action or some other form of formal proceeding (e.g. a diversionary conference or a formal caution).

In 2008, 78% of police investigations into murder and 74% of attempted murder were finalised within 30 days of a victim becoming known to police.

The lowest proportions of finalisations at 30 days were for victims of unlawful entry with intent (11%), motor vehicle theft (15%) and other theft (16%).

The highest proportions of investigations finalised where there was no offender proceeded against were for victims of kidnapping/abduction (45%) and motor vehicle theft (39%) (table 13.8).

13.8 VICTIMS OF RECORDED CRIME(a), By outcome of investigation at 30 days-2008
Finalised
Not finalised
No offender proceeded against
Offender proceeded against
Total(b)
Offence
Murder
58
19
183
260
Attempted murder
60
11
160
231
Manslaughter
14
3
13
30
Kidnapping/abduction
457
148
177
782
Robbery
Armed robbery
4 677
268
1 771
6 716
Unarmed robbery
7 202
588
2 000
9 790
Total
11 879
856
3 771
16 509
Blackmail/extortion
192
47
178
417
Unlawful entry with intent
Involving the taking of property
151 720
3 715
13 437
168 936
Other
64 172
1 905
6 650
72 754
Total
215 892
5 620
20 087
241 690
Motor vehicle theft
57 790
4 117
6 344
68 270
Other theft
418 544
15 257
62 807
496 697
(a) Depending on the type of crime, a victim may be a person, a premise, an organisation or a motor vehicle.
(b) Includes unknown outcomes of investigation.
Source: ABS Recorded Crime - Victims, Australia (4510.0).
Note: Discrepancies may occur between sums of component items and totals across tables due to rounding and to protect confidentiality.









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