Tasmania Police say crime has significantly fallen over the long term

Increased reports of sexual assaults, robberies, fraud and car stealing contributed to a rise in crime recorded in Tasmania last financial year. See inside our crime spike and what police are doing about it.

INCREASED reports of sexual assaults, robberies, fraud and car stealing contributed to a rise in crime recorded in Tasmania last financial year.

Tasmania Police’s 2021/22 crime statistics supplement shows total offences were up 6 per cent (1494 offences) to 25,750.

This figure was below the five year average of 26,698.

The report said contributors to the overall rise in crime last year were an increase of 6 per cent in offences against property, a 7 per cent increase in offences against the person and a 19 per cent increase in fraud and similar offences.

Offences against property accounted for 75 per cent of all offences, followed by offences against the person at 21 per cent.

The statistics are published annually along with the Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management annual report.

Tasmania Police Assistant Commissioner, Adrian Bodnar. Picture: Linda Higginson

Assistant Commissioner Adrian Bodnar said while Tasmania remained a very safe place to live, there would always be a minority of people who did the wrong thing.

“Crime rates fluctuate from year to year and as a consequence, comparing crime data over a short period, for example, the previous year, may give a distorted impression, not representing long term trends,” Assistant Commissioner Bodnar said.

“For example, Fraud and Similar Offences increased in 2021/22 compared to 2020/21, though the figure was lower than the previous five-year average, and a 13 per cent decrease on 2019-20 figures.”

Crimes have fluctuated between 24,000 and 28,000 annual offences over the past several years.

Assistant Commissioner Bodnar said crime rates fluctuated due to various factors, which may include criminal group trends and the activities of a small number of recidivist offenders.

Australian Border Force and Tasmania Police seize multiple firearms located on properties in Southern Tasmania. Picture: Tasmania Police

“Importantly the rate of total offences in Tasmania has decreased significantly over longer time periods. The crime rate 20 years ago, in 2002/03, was 48,223 total offences, which represents a decrease of almost 50 per cent,” he said.

“A major driver for the increase in sexual assault type offences, is likely to be the significant coverage in the national media, with victim-survivors being encouraged and supported in coming forward and reporting these crimes to police and support organisations. Tasmania Police encourages victim-survivors of sexual assault to contact Tasmania Police to report the assault or to receive support services.”

Assistant Commissioner Bodnar said initiatives to respond to and prevent crime included the establishment of the Crime and Intelligence Command, increasing the number of Tasmania Police officers and a range of covert and overt operations.

THE STATS

Total offences:

Up 6 per cent (1494 offences) to 25,750

Most common type of offence:

Offences against property (stealing, injure/destroy property, stealing and motor vehicle stealing) - 75 per cent of all offences

Offences against the person (assault, sexual assault, robbery, murder) - 21 per cent of all offences

Assaults

3407 (up 8 per cent)

Most common location of assaults

Residences: 56 per cent

In the street: 16 per cent

Retail settings: 10 per cent

Related information

The majority of assaults did not involve a weapon.

Four per cent involved a knife and two per cent involved a gun.

The alleged offender was known to the victim in 74 per cent of assaults.

The gender-split of victims was roughly even, with women accounting for 53 per cent of assault victims.

Assault is on the rise.

Sexual assaults

574 (up 19 per cent)

Most common location of assaults

Residences: 76 per cent

The details

Ninety-seven per cent were committed without a weapon

Women accounted for 85 per cent of victims.

The sexual assault clearance rate increase from 63 per cent in 2020/21 to 73 per cent in 2021/22.

Thirty-eight per cent of sexual assaults were committed a year or more before they were reported

Murders

7

The details

There were seven murders in 2021/22, an increase of one on the previous year.

The offender was known to the victim in five murders.

The clearance rate for murder was 86 per cent

Robberies

143 (Up 83 per cent)

Armed robberies:

37

The details

An increase in robbery offences has coincided with the creation of a new summary robbery offence in July 2021, called Stealing with Force, which broadened the scope of robbery.

Armed and aggravated armed robbery accounted for 26 per cent of robberies.

Armed robberies most commonly happened in the street (14 offences), with 10 offences each in retail and residential settings.

There were 11 carjackings.

A man with a machete is caught on CCTV breaking through the glass door store during an armed robbery.

Burglaries

2371 (Down 10 per cent)

The details

The most common locations for building burglaries were homes (64 per cent) followed by retail (14 per cent)

Stolen vehicles

1272 (Up 19 per cent)

The details

This year’s increase followed a 10 per cent decrease last year. The recovery rate for stolen vehicles was 70 per cent.

Motor vehicles were most frequently stolen from residential locations (56 per cent) and the street (25 per cent)

Arson and related offences

490 (Up 23 per cent)

The details

Arson accounted for 17 per cent of these offences, with unlawfully setting fire to property accounting for 77 per cent and unlawfully setting fire to vegetation seven per cent

Fraud and similar offences

868 (Up 19 per cent)

The details

Computer related fraud accounted for 45 per cent of offences, followed by other fraud (37 per cent), make off without payment (14 per cent), uttering (2 per cent) and forgery (2 per cent).

Other (miscellaneous) offences

389 (down 6.7 per cent)

The details

The most significant change in this category was a decrease of 27 offences in public order offences. Firearms offences accounted for 37 per cent of other offences, followed by public order offences (22 per cent), justice offences (18 per cent), child exploitation and bestiality (9 per cent), offences involving animals (5 per cent), telecommunications offences (4 per cent).

(Source: Tasmania Police crime statistics supplement 2021/22)