Crime in the Australian Capital Territory

Last updated

Crime in the Australian Capital Territory is controlled by ACT Policing (part of the Australian Federal Police), which is responsible for providing policing services to the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). Prisons are managed by ACT Corrective Services.

Contents

Crimes against person in the ACT for the 2017-2018 year were roughly equivalent to whole of Australia averages. Some types of crime, notably theft from motor vehicle, malicious property damage and other theft, were higher than the Australia-wide average. [1]

Pre-federation history of crime in the area

John Tennant was a bushranger active in the area in the 1820s. In 1826 Tennant and another man, John Ricks, absconded from their assigned landholder and took to the bush. [2] Mount Tennent is named after him as it was on the slopes of this steep mountain, behind the village of Tharwa, where he would hide until his capture in 1828.

Canberra

Canberra has the lowest rate of crime of any capital city in Australia as of February 2019. [3]

The 2017 crime statistics showed a rise in some types of personal crime, notably burglaries, thefts and assaults. ACT Policing Chief Police Officer Justine Saunders blamed the rise in assault statistics partly on victims having more confidence to report crimes, especially family violence, [4] but also growing recidivism and drug addiction. The pattern of crime varied widely amongst different suburbs, but armed robberies, home burglaries and car theft had risen sharply. [5]

The Australian Federal Police Association said that police numbers across the ACT had not increased in line with the rapid population growth in the past five years, [6] with president Angela Smith adding that the rise in violent, complex crimes showed that something was "seriously wrong". [5]

Incarceration rates in 2017 were low compared with other states and territories.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian Capital Territory</span> Federal territory of Australia

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT), known as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) until 1938, is a federal territory of Australia. Canberra, the capital city of Australia, is situated within the territory. It is located in southeastern Australian mainland as an enclave completely within the state of New South Wales. Founded after Federation as the seat of government for the new nation, the territory hosts the headquarters of all important institutions of the Australian Government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canberra</span> Capital city of Australia

Canberra is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest Australian city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory at the northern tip of the Australian Alps, the country's highest mountain range. As of June 2022, Canberra's estimated population was 456,692.

A violent crime, violent felony, crime of violence or crime of a violent nature is a crime in which an offender or perpetrator uses or threatens to use harmful force upon a victim. This entails both crimes in which the violent act is the objective, such as murder, assault, rape and assassination, as well as crimes in which violence is used as a method of coercion or show of force, such as robbery, extortion and terrorism. Violent crimes may, or may not, be committed with weapons. Depending on the jurisdiction, violent crimes may be regarded with varying severities from homicide to harassment. There have been many theories regarding heat being the cause of an increase in violent crime. Theorists claim that violent crime is persistent during the summer due to the heat, further causing people to become aggressive and commit more violent crime.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crime in Canada</span> Overview of crime in Canada

Crime in Canada is generally considered low overall. Under the Canadian constitution, the power to establish criminal law and rules of investigation is vested in the federal Parliament. The provinces share responsibility for law enforcement, and while the power to prosecute criminal offences is assigned to the federal government, responsibility for prosecutions is delegated to the provinces for most types of criminal offences. Laws and sentencing guidelines are uniform throughout the country, but provinces vary in their level of enforcement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crime in Australia</span> Australian police information

Crime in Australia is managed by various law enforcement bodies, the federal and state-based criminal justice systems and state-based correctional services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crime in Western Australia</span>

Crime in Western Australia is tackled by the Western Australia Police and the Western Australian legal system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crime in Sweden</span> Overview of crime in Sweden

Crime in Sweden is defined by the Swedish Penal Code and in other Swedish laws and statutory instruments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crime in the Northern Territory</span>

Crime in the Northern Territory is managed by the Northern Territory Police, the territory government's Department of the Attorney-General and Justice and Territory Families.

Crime has been recorded in the United States since its founding and has fluctuated significantly over time, with a sharp rise after 1900 and reaching a broad bulging peak between the 1970s and early 1990s. After 1992, crime rates have generally trended downwards each year, with the exceptions of a slight increase in property crimes in 2001 and increases in violent crimes in 2005-2006, 2014-2016 and 2020-2021. While official federal crime data beginning in 2021 has a wide margin of error due to the incomplete adoption of the National Incident-Based Reporting System by government agencies, federal data for 2020-2021 and limited data from select U.S. cities collected by the nonpartisan Council on Criminal Justice showed significantly elevated rates of homicide and motor vehicle theft in 2020-2022. Although overall crime rates have fallen far below the peak of crime seen in the United States during the late 1980s and early 1990s, the homicide rate in the U.S. has remained high, relative to other "high income"/developed nations, with eight major U.S. cities ranked among the 50 cities with the highest homicide rate in the world in 2022. The aggregate cost of crime in the United States is significant, with an estimated value of $4.9 trillion reported in 2021. Data from the first half of 2023, from government and private sector sources show that the murder rate has dropped, as much as 12% in as many as 90 cities across the United States. The drop in homicide rates is not uniform across the country however, with some cities such as Memphis, TN, showing an uptick in murder rates.

Property crime is a category of crime, usually involving private property, that includes, among other crimes, burglary, larceny, theft, motor vehicle theft, arson, shoplifting, and vandalism. Property crime is a crime to obtain money, property, or some other benefit. This may involve force, or the threat of force, in cases like robbery or extortion. Since these crimes are committed in order to enrich the perpetrator they are considered property crimes. Crimes against property are divided into two groups: destroyed property and stolen property. When property is destroyed, it could be called arson or vandalism. Examples of the act of stealing property is robbery or embezzlement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crime in Switzerland</span>

Crime in Switzerland is combated mainly by cantonal police. The Federal Office of Police investigates organised crime, money laundering and terrorism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crime in London</span> Overview of crime in London, England

Figures on crime in London are based primarily on two sets of statistics: the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) and police recorded crime data. Greater London is generally served by three police forces; the Metropolitan Police which is responsible for policing the vast majority of the capital, the City of London Police which is responsible for The Square Mile of the City of London and the British Transport Police, which polices the national rail network and the London Underground. A fourth police force in London, the Ministry of Defence Police, do not generally become involved with policing the general public. London also has a number of small constabularies for policing parks. Within the Home Office crime statistic publications, Greater London is referred to as the London Region.

Crime in Alaska has attracted significant attention, both within the state and nationally, due to its unique challenges and higher crime rates compared to the rest of the United States. A sparsely populated state with vast wilderness areas, Alaska poses particular difficulties for law enforcement and social service agencies.

In 2019, 43,686 crimes were reported in the U.S. state of Michigan. Crime statistics vary widely by location. For example, Dearborn has a murder rate of only 2.1 per 100,000 while sharing borders with Detroit and Inkster, some of the highest rates in the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crime in Minnesota</span> Overview of crime in the US state of Minnesota

Crime in Minnesota encompasses a wide range of unlawful activities that occur within the state, regulated by both state and federal laws. While crime rates in Minnesota are generally below the national average, certain areas and types of crime have garnered public attention.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Punishment in Australia</span>

Punishment in Australia arises when an individual has been accused or convicted of breaking the law through the Australian criminal justice system. Australia uses prisons, as well as community corrections. When awaiting trial, prisoners may be kept in specialised remand centres or within other prisons.

Criminal activity in New South Wales, Australia is combated by the New South Wales Police Force and the New South Wales court system, while statistics about crime are managed by the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research. Modern Australian states and cities, including New South Wales, have some of the lowest crime rates recorded globally with Australia ranked the 13th safest nation and Sydney ranked the 5th safest city globally. As of September 2018 the City of Penrith (475.7) and City of Blacktown (495.1). Rural areas have comparatively high crime rates per 100,000 with rural shires such as Walgett Shire (1350.3) and Moree Plains Shire (1236.2) having some of the highest violent crime rates in the state. The overall NSW crime rate has been in steady decline for many years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crime in Queensland</span> On-going political issue

Crime in Queensland is an on-going political issue. Queensland Police is responsible for providing policing services to Queensland, Australia. Crime statistics for the state are provided on their website. Official records show that reported offences against property and people has declined over the past 20 years to 2020. The state has criminal codes for hooning, graffiti, sharing intimate images without consent and fare evasion. Wage theft became a crime in 2020. The minimum age of criminal responsibility in Queensland is 10 years old.

Crime in Tasmania has existed since the earliest days of the European settlement in 1803. Laws creating criminal offences are contained entirely in statutes, statutory regulations, and by-laws, common law offences having been abolished by the Criminal Code Act 1924 s 6. Most offences are enforced by Tasmania Police, although a small category of offences are prosecuted by other statutory authorities such as local governments, and the Tasmanian branch of RSPCA Australia. All offences are prosecuted through the Tasmanian justice system, and sentences of imprisonment are administered by the Tasmania Prison Service. Some crime statistics for Tasmania are provided on the Tasmania Police website.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of the Australian Capital Territory</span>

The economy of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) is the fastest-growing, sixth biggest economy of Australia as of the end of the 2017-18 financial year. Since the introduction of its self-government status in 1989, and with few exceptions in 1992, 1996, and 2014, the ACT economy has exhibited positive growth at a 1991-2018 average of 3.17 percent per year. A vast majority of the economy is concentrated in Canberra, the capital city of Australia, and is composed primarily (about 75%) by service industries, particularly those related to the administration of federal and local government. Construction also contributes to an important part of the economy, boosted by large government-funded projects and an active residential market. In contrast to other Australian states and territories, primary sectors such as agriculture, forestry, and mining, represent a very small proportion of the economy (±1%). A negative balance of trade has characterised the ACT economy since 2012-13, with small goods trade and a growing service export industry comprised mainly by education and public administration services.

References

  1. "4530.0 - Crime Victimisation, Australia, 2017-18". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  2. Our Heritage - you are standing in it! Peter Dowling, National Trust, (undated) Archived 2007-08-29 at the Wayback Machine
  3. "Crime". Australian Federal Police. ACT Policing. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  4. Hayward, Tanya (16 April 2018). "Crime statistics in Canberra". Alliance Criminal Law. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  5. 1 2 Sibthorpe, Claire (10 April 2018). "Canberra crime stats show spike in burglaries, thefts and assault: see how your suburb fares". Australian Broadcasting Corporation News. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  6. Bushnell, Ian (10 January 2018). "Time to admit growing Canberra has a crime problem and the thin blue line is stretched to the limit". Riot Act!. Retrieved 23 February 2019.