South Australia’s gun-related crime figures up
The Advertiser, Adelaide
5 October 2001
ROBBERIES in which a firearm was used rose 34.6 per cent in SA over the past year. Close behind the total figure of 105 such incidents was robbery with another weapon, up 30.9 per cent to 563.
The figures appear in the SA Police report for 2000-01, presented to Parliament yesterday.
It also reveals that crime in SA increased by more than 12 per cent in the past year.
Offences recorded in 2000-01 totalled 254,598, an increase of 12.3 per cent on1999-2000. Almost all categories of offences against the person increased. The exceptions were murder (down 12 per cent) and attempted murder (down 21.3 per cent).
The report shows:
VIOLENT crimes - taking in murder, attempted murder, rape and attempted rape, serious assaults and robbery - are up 17.6 per cent to 4762 offences.
SERIOUS assault offences rose 12.7 per cent to 2123.
MINOR assaults recorded the greatest increase among the crime-against-person offences, up 15.6 per cent to 13,262.
Police Commissioner Mal Hyde says reported crime levels remain a concern.
"Much of the increase in recent years can be attributed to illicit drug use,'' he says in the report. "Reducing the availability of these drugs is clearly important. "So too is deterring and breaking the cycle of drug use.'' The report links the increase in armed robberies to heroin shortages this year. "Indications are that addicts found it necessary to commit more offences to obtain sufficient money to purchase scarce and more expensive heroin,'' it says.
"It is clear that a total community effort involving a variety of programs is needed to overcome the pervasive drug-related problems confronting our community.'' Arrests and reports for the selling and trading of illicit drugs in the Adelaide metropolitan area increased by 14.2 per cent under Operation Mantle. Police Minister Robert Brokenshire said Parliament needed to take a tougher stand on drug strategies and hydroponic systems used for growing cannabis. The increase of crime in gen eral, but particularly drug-related crime, was also a national and international trend. "It is a concern for every government," he said.
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