Reported offences up 8 p.c.

Press, 11 September 1986, Page 6

Reported offences up 8 p.c.

The 444,646 offences reported to the police during 1985-86 were up 8.1 per cent on the 411,302 in 1984-85 but the clearance rate, at 41.1 per cent, was 2.9 per cent down. A record 61 murders were reported, of which 57 so far have been cleared. Robberies were also a record, 1282 being reported, an increase of 28 per cent; aggravated robberies rose 35 per cent from 476 to 643 offences; and non-aggravated robberies Increased 36 per cent from 435 to 548 of-

fences. In total, violent offences increased 6 per cent during 1985-86 from 20,838 to 22,104. There were 419 reported rapes, 12.6 per cent up on the 372 last year, but the clearance rate for rape fell 5.6 per cent to 71.8 per cent. Sexual offences increased 6.4 per cent from 3111 to 3311, the clearance rate falling 4.6 per cent to 60 per cent. Non-cannabls drug offences increased 10 per cent to 965; cannabis offences rose 5.6 per cent

from 13,873 to 14,632. Total reported drug and anti-social offences fell 1.6 per cent from 50,533 to 49,734, with a stable clearance rate of 93 per cent. There were 298,358 offences of dishonesty, representing 67 per cent of total offending, and they rose 12.6 per cent during the year. Clearance fell 1.8 per cent to 24.1 per cent Burglary increased 14.4 per cent from 73,770 cases to 84,408; car conversion increased 20 per cent from 47,978 to

57,607; theft increased 7 per cent from 116,213 to 124,821; fraud rose 17.8 per cent from 24,412 to 28,768. During the year, children aged under 17 were responsible for 24.3 per cent of cleared offences, and 56 per cent of all offenders were aged under 20. Of all offenders, 82.2 per cent were male and 17.8 per cent female. About 38 per cent of cleared dishonesty offences were of children aged under 17 and 65.2 per cent aged under 20. Of crimes of violence, only 14 per cent involved those aged under 17, with 34.6 per cent aged under 20. Property worth $254.6 million was reported stolen, of which 43.4 per cent ($110.6 million) was recovered. There were 32,879 motor-vehicles worth $125.4 million stolen.