CRIME


RECORDED CRIME, VICTIMS 2008

Motor vehicle theft hit all time low

Motor vehicle theft hit its lowest level since national reporting began in 1993 - 68,000 vehicle in 2008 compared to 112,000 vehicles in 1993.

Compared to 2007, the number of victims recorded by Australian state and territory police agencies in 2008 decreased for attempted murder, robbery, blackmail/extortion, unlawful entry with intent and motor vehicle theft. Conversely, there was an increase in the number of victims of kidnapping/abduction. Murder and other theft also increased during this period.

Robberies reported to police decreased by 8% in 2008, the highest proportional decrease across the published offences. In total, 16,500 victims reported a robbery to police, 1,500 less victims than in 2007.

In 2008, the Australian victimisation rates for selected personal offence categories were:

• Murder, 1.2 victims per 100,000 persons, no change from 1.2 victims in 2007
• Attempted murder, 1.1 victims per 100,000 persons, down from 1.2 victims in 2007
• Kidnapping/abduction, 3.7 victims per 100,000 persons, up from 3.5 victims in 2007
• Robbery, 77.2 victims per 100,000 persons, down from 85.6 victims in 2007
• Blackmail/extortion, 2.0 victims per 100,000 persons, no change from 2.0 victims in 2007

Across selected states and territories, the offender was known to the victim in at least half of all homicide offences.

About the release

The Recorded Crime - Victims, Australia publication presents statistics on the incidents of victimisation for a selected range of offences that came to the attention of police and were recorded by them in the period 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2008. These statistics provide information about the characteristics of the victim (age and sex) and the nature of the criminal incidents (weapon use and location). These data are also available by state and territory. Information about the relationship of the offender to victim and the Indigenous status of a victim is also available for selected states and territories. Depending on the type of offence, a victim in the recorded crime collection can be a person, a premises, an organisation or a motor vehicle.