NCJ Number
176659
Date Published
1998
Length
84 pages
Annotation
The 62,222 notifiable offenses recorded by the police in Northern Ireland during 1997 represented a 9-percent decrease, compared to 1996, and represented the lowest level of recorded crime since 1990.
Abstract
Theft was the single largest offense group, accounting for 47 percent of all recorded crime in 1997. Decreases were observed in eight of the nine recorded crime categories in 1997, compared to 1996. Theft fell by 10 percent, burglary by 11 percent, violence against the person by 9 percent, recorded sex offenses by 17 percent, fraud and forgery by 6 percent, criminal damage offenses by 3 percent, other offenses (mainly drug offenses) by 9 percent, and robbery by 4 percent. Offenses against the state increased by 25 percent, primarily due to an increase in recorded public order offenses. In 1997, 19,560 notifiable offenses were cleared by the police, a 15-percent decrease from the number cleared in 1996. The number of defendants proceeded against in magistrate courts totaled 34,471 in 1997, a 1-percent decrease from the number in 1996. Total prosecutions for summary and indictable offenses fell by 5 percent in 1997, compared to 1996. The Crown Court handled 1,128 prosecutions in 1997, 6 percent less than in 1996. About 86 percent of defendants in magistrate courts and 88 percent of defendants in the Crown Court pleaded guilty in 1997. The most frequent disposal in the Crown Court was immediate custody, while the most frequent disposal in magistrate courts was a fine. In 1997, 955 juveniles were sentenced by courts: 700 for indictable offenses, 198 for summary offenses, and 57 for motoring offenses. About 19 percent of juveniles were sentenced to immediate custody, 41 percent to supervision in the community, and 25 percent to conditional discharge. In 1997, the average prison population fell for the fourth consecutive year to 1,632, a slight decrease from 1996 and a 14-percent decrease from 1988. Appendixes contain additional information on notifiable and indictable offenses, criminal courts in Northern Ireland, and sentences available to courts. 38 tables and 45 figures