WESTERN AUSTRALIA

TOTAL OFFENDERS

The number of offenders proceeded against by police in Western Australia decreased by 1% (or 382 offenders) to 41,296 offenders in 2017–18. This was the first decrease in the total offender population in four years. (Table 11)

The offender rate increased for this four year period by 118 offenders, from 1,726 to 1,844 offenders per 100,000 persons. (Table 11)


PRINCIPAL OFFENCE

In 2017–18, the three most common principal offences in Western Australia were:

• Illicit drug offences (24% or 9,688 offenders)
• Acts intended to cause injury (20% or 8,033 offenders)
• Theft (13% or 5,518) (Table 6)

OFFENDERS, Proportion by principal offence, Western Australia

Australian Bureau of Statistics
© Commonwealth of Australia 2019

Illicit drug offences have remained the most common principal offence in Western Australia since 2013–14. Despite this, between 2016–17 and 2017–18 the number of offenders for this offence decreased by 6% (or 657 offenders). (Table 11)

More than half (60%) of Illicit drug offenders had a principal offence of Possess and/or use illicit drugs (5,809 offenders) in 2017–18. (Table 6)

SEX

Between 2016–17 and 2017–18, the number of female offenders increased by 2% (or 217 offenders) to 11,197 offenders. (Table 11)

However after accounting for population changes, the female offender rate in Western Australia has declined by 89 offenders since the beginning of the time series in 2008–09 to 997 offenders per 100,000 persons in 2017–18. (Table 11)

In 2017–18, the number of male offenders decreased (down 2% or 657 offenders). Around three in four (72%) offenders proceeded against by police in Western Australia were male. (Table 11)


YOUTH OFFENDERS

In 2017–18, there were 6,697 youth offenders recorded in Western Australia. This was an increase of 2% (or 104 offenders) from the previous year, which was the largest increase across all states and territories for which youth offender data was available. (Table 20)

In 2017–18, youth offenders in Western Australia were most commonly proceeded against for the following three offences:

• Unlawful entry with intent (1,255 offenders)
• Theft (1,249 offenders)
• Acts intended to cause injury (1,241 offenders) (Table 20)