4519.0 - Recorded Crime - Offenders, Selected states and territories, 2007-08 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 27/08/2009  First Issue
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MEDIA RELEASE
August 27, 2009
Embargoed: 11.30 am (AEST)
60/2009
Police initiated action against nearly 300,000 offenders during 2007-08: ABS

The data in this media release include all states and territories except Western Australia.

Police proceeded against 295,600 alleged offenders during 2007-08, according to the first release of recorded crime offender statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). This equated to 1,800 offenders per 100,000 people aged 10 years and over.

Recorded Crime - Offenders is a new publication that details the number and characteristics of alleged offenders aged 10 years and over for selected states and territories, and it complements the existing ABS publications relating to victims, criminal courts and corrective services.

Young people (between 10-19 years) accounted for one third (33%) of all offenders proceeded against by police; the 15-19 age group had the highest offender rate for any age group (5,900 offenders per 100,000 people aged 15-19 years).

Over three-quarters of all offenders (78%) were male.

Just over a quarter (26%) of offenders were proceeded against more than once during the year; 4% of offenders were proceeded against five or more times.

The most common principal offences for offenders were:
    • Acts intended to cause injury (330 offenders per 100,000 people aged 10 years and over)
    • Public order offences (315 offenders per 100,000 people aged 10 years and over); and
    • Theft and related offences, and illicit drug offences (both at 240 offenders per 100,000 people aged 10 years and over).

Police initiated 303,000 court actions against alleged offenders during 2007-08.

More details are available in Recorded Crime - Offenders, Selected States and Territories, 2007-08 (cat. no. 4519.0) available for free download from the ABS web site <www.abs.gov.au>

Media Note: This publication is the first release of statistics relating to the number of alleged offenders aged 10 years and over who were proceeded against by police during 2007-08. Data comes from administrative systems maintained by state and territory police agencies. Each offender is assigned a principal offence (most serious offence) if more than one offence is committed.

When reporting ABS data you must attribute the Australian Bureau of Statistics (or the ABS) as the source.