Canberra residents are more likely to suffer malicious property damage and theft from cars than elsewhere in Australia, according to figures released Thursday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Australian Bureau of Statistics' (ABS) 2015-16 crime victimisation survey was held throughout Australia from July 2015 to June 2016.
The data shows an estimated 3.8 per cent of people in the ACT [11,600] experienced assault, which was lower than other jurisdictions.
An estimated 3.9 per cent of ACT households experienced theft from a motor vehicle. Of these, 41 per cent reported the most recent incident to police, which was lower than the national average.
An estimated six per cent of households [8800] experienced malicious property damage. Of these, 38 per cent reported the most recent incident to police.
The ABS report estimates the extent of victimisation experienced by Australians aged 15 and over for selected types of crime, and whether or not the most recent incident of each crime type was reported to police.
A victim is a person or household who has experienced at least one incident of a selected type of crime in the 12 months before interview in 2015-16.
In the ACT, an estimated 2.3 per cent of people [6900] experienced face-to-face threatened assault.
The national data shows:
- 2.4 per cent experienced at least one physical assault;
- 2.9 per cent experienced at least one threatened assault, including face-to-face and non face-to-face threatened assaults;
- 0.4 per cent experienced at least one robbery.
Of the 18 million people aged 18 years and over, 0.4 per cent [77,400] experienced at least one sexual assault.
The ABS said results from the 2015-16 survey were similar to those recorded in 2014-15, with no significant change in the victimisation rates for personal crime.
Since 2008-09, there has been a general decline in the victimisation rate for face-to-face threatened assault. There was no clear change in the victimisation rates for physical assault, non face-to-face threatened assault, robbery and sexual assault over the same time period.
Regarding household crime, estimates for the nine million Australian households were:
- 4.8 per cent experienced at least one incident of malicious property damage;
- 2.9 per cent experienced at least one incident of theft from a motor vehicle;
- 2.7 per cent experienced at least one incident of other theft;
- 2.5 per cent experienced at least one break-in to their home, garage or shed;
- 2.1 per cent experienced at least one attempted break-in to their home, garage or shed.
ABS spokesman William Milne said national rates have been steadily declining over eight years for break-in, motor vehicle theft, theft from a motor vehicle, malicious property damage, and other theft.
"Of these crimes, malicious property damage such as destruction of property or graffiti experienced the greatest decrease, with the proportion of Australian households experiencing this crime falling from roughly one in 10 in 2008-09 to one in 20 in 2015-16," Mr Milne said.
"In contrast, the proportion of Australians experiencing personal crimes such as physical assault, non face-to-face threatened assault, robbery, and sexual assault has remained stable over this time."
