Page 2831 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 29 June 2011
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continue to drive down the level of property crime, motor vehicle theft, break and enter and so in our community, because these are the crimes that are most likely to affect the largest number of Canberrans.
As to the types of measures that we are putting in place, for example, the performance measures on level of crime require that the number of offences against property reported or becoming known per 100,000 of population is 8½ thousand or less, which is the national average. Our objective is to get the property crime level in the territory down to the national average. The ACT has historically always seen a higher than national average level, and we want to get that down to the national average. So that is a very important measure in the new purchase agreement.
What are also important are the special areas of emphasis that I am able to put in place through my directions to the Chief Police Officer. I have done that again this year. One of the specific requirements I have of the Chief Police Officer is to work in collaboration with the rest of the ACT government in delivering a renewed property crime reduction strategy so that we see fewer break and enters, you can see fewer motor vehicle thefts, you can see less of the trauma associated with those offences as a result of the combined efforts of the government, ACT Policing and the broader community.
MR SPEAKER: A supplementary, Mr Hargreaves?
MR HARGREAVES: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Minister, what results have you already seen from the property crime strategy that has been undertaken by ACT Policing to date?
MR CORBELL: Again, I thank Mr Hargreaves for the question. I am very pleased that in the last 12 months ACT Policing has established a specific crime targeting team to focus on property crime and motor vehicle theft in our community. The results have been very, very pleasing. I want to congratulate all the officers involved in that crime targeting team for the very good work they have done on behalf of the community, particularly over the last 12 months.
The figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics speak for themselves. They show that the ACT recorded a significant decrease in the number of victims of burglary. We have seen a 12.9 per cent decrease in burglary in the last 12 months. We have seen a 30.6 per cent decrease in motor vehicle theft during the same time. Comparing the 12 months to March 2011 with the previous 12 months, there has been a decrease of 30.4 per cent in the number of burglaries committed here in the ACT.
This is a fantastic result for our community. Obviously, we need to continue with our efforts but I think all members will join with me in congratulating ACT Policing for their efforts in getting those very significant reductions—over a 30 per cent reduction in the last 12 months in property crime, burglary and motor vehicle theft—because of the very targeted efforts of our police.
MR SPEAKER: Dr Bourke, a supplementary?
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