This report provides information on rates and patterns of crime in Australia during 2012.
Highlights from this annual report on crime rates in Australia include the following: in 2012, property crime continued to be reported at a higher volume than violent crime; while credit and charge card fraud decreased 17 percent between 2011 and 2012, overall these types of crimes have generally increased since 2006; the number of amphetamine arrests increased 30 percent between 2011 and 2012, and cannabis accounted for the highest volume of drug arrests since 1996-1997; there was a slight increase in the number of homicides and sexual assaults in 2012 compared to 2011, however the number of homicides has declined since the peak year of 1999; the rate of robbery victimization has declined since 2001; the rate of imprisonment for indigenous offenders was 19 times higher than the rate of imprisonment for non-indigenous offenders; and the total recurrent expenditure on police services across Australia was approximately $9.8 billion in 2011-2012, with Victoria spending the least per adult on police services and the Northern Territory spending the most per adult. This report was compiled by the Australian Institute of Criminology to measure the volume and rate of individual crime types in the country. Data for the report were obtained from a variety of sources, including the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council, police services from the States and Territories, and the Australian Federal police. Tables, figures, and references