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finalised without an offender being proceeded against because the reported offence was not verified, the complaint was withdrawn, or the alleged offender could not be proceeded against because of some statutory or procedural bar
- 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).
Table 13.13 shows that, in 2006, 71% of police investigations into attempted murder and 69% of murder were finalised within 30 days of a victim becoming known to police.
The lowest proportions of finalisation at 30 days were for victims of unlawful entry with intent (9%), motor vehicle theft (11%) and other theft (14%).
The highest proportions of investigations finalised where there was no offender proceeded against were for victims of blackmail/extortion (39%), kidnapping/abduction (36%), motor vehicle theft (31%), unlawful entry with intent and other theft (both 21%).
13.13 VICTIMS OF RECORDED CRIME(a), By outcome of investigations at 30 days - 2006 |
| |
| | | Finalised | | |
Offence | Not finalised | No offender proceeded against | Offender proceeded against | Total(b) | |
| |
Murder | 88 | 22 | 170 | 280 | |
Attempted murder | 69 | 14 | 158 | 241 | |
Manslaughter | 19 | 3 | 15 | 37 | |
Kidnapping/abduction | 442 | 101 | 181 | 724 | |
Robbery | | | | | |
| Armed robbery | 5 662 | 217 | 1 644 | 7 525 | |
| Unarmed robbery | 7 680 | 514 | 1 561 | 9 759 | |
| Total | 13 342 | 731 | 3 205 | 17 284 | |
Blackmail/extortion | 257 | 68 | 105 | 430 | |
Unlawful entry with intent | | | | | |
| Involving the taking of property | 168 648 | 3 274 | 11 960 | 183 922 | |
| Other | 70 094 | 1 621 | 6 171 | 77 973 | |
| Total | 238 742 | 4 895 | 18 131 | 261 895 | |
Motor vehicle theft | 66 555 | 2 685 | 5 856 | 75 115 | |
Other theft | 446 117 | 14 784 | 56 196 | 517 492 | |
| |
(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: Recorded Crime - Victims, Australia (4510.0). |