- Crime in Australia
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Crime-wise, Australia is comparatively a safe place to live, though often the perception of crime is much higher.[citation needed] Human smuggling, human trafficking and the illegal drug trade have all impacted Australia in recent years.[1] Australia has a much lower violent crime rate than some other developed nations, such as the United States and Canada.[2]
Contents
Crime statistics
The Australian Institute of Criminology provides national statistics on crime in Australia.[3] State police and justice departments also compile information on the patterns of regional crime.
Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows that during the 2009/10 financial year police took action against 375,259 people[4], up by 4.8 per cent from 2008/09 figures.[5] Young offenders aged 10 to 19, comprised about 29 per cent of the total offender population across Australia.[6]
In the 2009/10 financial year, 84,100 women had police action taken against them across Australia, up by six per cent compared with the previous year.[7] 290,400 men had police action taken against them in 2009/10, an annual increase of 4 per cent.[8] About 30 per cent of the women were accused of theft, whereas the most common principal offence for men was intention to cause injury and matters related to public order.[9]
Regional crime
Australian Capital Territory
Main article: Crime in the Australian Capital TerritoryNew South Wales
Main article: Crime in New South WalesQueensland
Main article: Crime in QueenslandSouth Australia
Main article: Crime in South AustraliaTasmania
Main article: Crime in TasmaniaVictoria
Main article: Crime in VictoriaWestern Australia
Main article: Crime in Western AustraliaHistory
Convicts
Main article: Convicts in AustraliaDuring the late 18th and 19th centuries, large numbers of convicts were transported to the various Australian penal colonies by the British government.[10] One of the primary reasons for the British settlement of Australia was the establishment of a penal colony to alleviate pressure on their overburdened correctional facilities. Over the 80 years more than 165,000 convicts were transported to Australia.[11]
Bushrangers of Australia
Main article: BushrangerBushrangers were criminals who used the Australian bush as a refuge to hide from authorities between committing their robberies, roughly analogous to the British "highwayman" and American "Old West outlaws,". Their targets often included small-town banks or coach services. The term "bushranger" evolved to refer to those who abandoned social rights and privileges to take up "robbery under arms" as a way of life, using the bush as their base.
Riots in Australia
See also - Civil disturbances in Western Australia
- Lambing Flat riots of 1860-1861
- Bathurst Riots
- 2004 Palm Island riots
- 2004 Redfern riots
- 2005 Macquarie Fields riots
- 2005 Cronulla riots
Law enforcement in Australia
Main article: Law enforcement in AustraliaLaw enforcement in Australia is served by police, sheriffs and bailiffs under the control of state, territory and the Federal governments. A number of state, territory and federal agencies also administer a wide variety of legislation related to white-collar crime.
The Police are responsible for the criminal law. The sheriff and bailiffs in each state and territory are responsible for the enforcement of the judgments of the courts exercising civil law (common law) jurisdictions.
It is a common misconception that in Australia there are two distinct levels of police forces, the various state police forces and then overriding that, the Australian Federal Police (AFP). In actuality, the various state police forces are responsible for enforcing state law within their own states while the AFP are responsible for the enforcement of and investigation of crimes against Commonwealth law which applies across the whole country.
Civic organisations
Penal system
Main article: Penal system in AustraliaMajor crimes in Australia
Further information: Timeline of major crimes in Australia and List of convicted Australian criminalsFurther information: List of Australian crime related books and mediaSee also
- Australian court hierarchy
- Illicit drug use in Australia
- Indigenous Australians and crime
References
- ^ "Australia Black Markets". http://www.havocscope.com/regions-main/asia/australia/.
- ^ [www.unodc.org/pdf/crime/forum/forum3_Art2.pdf World Crime Trends]
- ^ http://www.aic.gov.au/statistics.aspx Australian Institute of Criminology
- ^ La Canna, Xavier (24 February 2011). "Women increasingly target of police action". The Sydney Morning Herald. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/women-increasingly-target-of-police-action-20110224-1b6x2.html.
- ^ La Canna, Xavier (24 February 2011). "Women increasingly target of police action". The Sydney Morning Herald. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/women-increasingly-target-of-police-action-20110224-1b6x2.html.
- ^ La Canna, Xavier (24 February 2011). "Women increasingly target of police action". The Sydney Morning Herald. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/women-increasingly-target-of-police-action-20110224-1b6x2.html.
- ^ La Canna, Xavier (24 February 2011). "Women increasingly target of police action". The Sydney Morning Herald. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/women-increasingly-target-of-police-action-20110224-1b6x2.html.
- ^ La Canna, Xavier (24 February 2011). "Women increasingly target of police action". The Sydney Morning Herald. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/women-increasingly-target-of-police-action-20110224-1b6x2.html.
- ^ La Canna, Xavier (24 February 2011). "Women increasingly target of police action". The Sydney Morning Herald. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/women-increasingly-target-of-police-action-20110224-1b6x2.html.
- ^ Shorter Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2002. ISBN 0-19-860575-7. "convictism noun (Hist.) the system of penal settlements for convicts; the body of convicts so transported M19"
- ^ Convict Records, Ancestry.co.uk
External links
Crime in Australia States Cities Towns Crime dynamics Illicit drug use in Australia · Indigenous Australians and crimeLaw enforcement Prisons by state Crime internationally Crime by countryCategories:
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