29 June 2011
Mr MORRIS (Mornington) — The report of the Ombudsman on the release of Victoria’s crime statistics is but the latest in a long line of recommendations to the government and Parliament and indications that the reporting of crime in this state did not meet the mark.
As the deputy chair of the Drugs and Crime Prevention Committee in the 56th Parliament, I am well acquainted with the shortcomings of the system. In at least two inquiries, the first into high‑volume offending and recidivism by young people, and the second into assaults in public places, difficulties with statistics were a significant impediment to the committee’s work.
The Ombudsman has noted that as long ago as 2000 the committee highlighted a number of concerns about crime statistics. The committee followed that report with another in 2002 that recommended a bureau of crime statistics and research be established in Victoria.
The Bracks government failed to act.
There are at least two issues with the current practices in crime reporting.
The first is that published crime statistics are based on reported crimes and therefore are influenced by the proportion of actual offences reported to police.
The second is that operational priorities of police have an impact. A high level of police activity in a specific area will deter crime and it is likely to increase the number of reports of offences. Conversely, an area with a low level of police activity might well have an apparently low crime rate, because many offences go unrecorded.
Clearly credible crime statistics are an essential part of any serious crime prevention strategy.
I commend the Premier’s commitment to implement the Ombudsman’s recommendation.
Legislative Assembly 29 June 2011
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