Unfinished business: Koori women and the justice system Page 44

40 Unfinished business: Koori women and the justice system

Victoria Police

Victoria Police are vital in improving Koori rates of
contact with the justice system.

216

In 2006-07 Koori people were:

· 9.5 per cent of all police custody episodes

across the state despite making up only 0.7 per
cent of the Victorian population

· 10.7 times more likely to be processed for public

order offences, than the general population.

217

Since 2006-07 the number of individual Koori female
offenders processed by Victoria Police has risen
from 478 to 581 women.

218

Victoria Police crime statistics for 2011-12 indicate
that of 1,759 alleged offences by Koori females,
including juveniles:

219

· Forty-four per cent of alleged offences were

property crimes, the most common of which
was theft (shoplifting). This accounted for over a
third of all property offences and 16 per cent of
all alleged offences.

220

· Around a quarter were crimes against the

person (27 per cent). Within this category,
assault was by far the most common.

221

216

Nous Group, above n 25, 24.

217

State of Victoria, Office of Police Integrity, Talking
Together Relations between Police and Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islanders in Victoria: A Review of the Victoria
Police Aboriginal Strategic Plan 2003-2008 (2011) 20.

218

That is 21.5 per cent. Information provided to the
Commission by Victoria Police, 26 July 2013.

219

Refers to persons who have allegedly committed a
criminal offence and have been processed for that
offence by arrest, summons, caution, penalty notice,
official warning or warrant of apprehension between
1 July 2011 and 30 June 2012 regardless of when the
offence occurred. Those persons who were apprehended
but were not charged are also included. "Racial
Appearance" is based on the subjective assessment of
the attending police. Therefore, care should be exercised
in the interpretation of these statistics.

220

285 alleged offences of theft (shopsteal) out of 781
alleged crimes against property; that is, 36 per cent. In
addition, 123 alleged property damage offences were
committed by Koori females (16 per cent of property
crimes) and 120 alleged theft (other) offences (15
per cent) during the period. Victoria Police, `Crime
Statistics', above n 214, 55.

221

421 alleged assaults out of 474 alleged crimes against
the person. Ibid

· Other crimes accounted for 25 per cent of

alleged offences. Within this category, the
most common alleged offence was `justice
procedures'. This includes breaches of
Community Corrections Orders, outstanding
warrants and non-payment of fines.

· Alleged drug offences made up four per cent of

alleged offences. The majority of which were for
possession/use.

222

· Behaviour in public offences accounted for only

five per cent of all alleged offences by Koori
females.

223

This data conflicts with the perspectives of some
key informants, who suggested that Koori women
come to police attention under the guise of public
order offences, particularly if they are homeless
and so vulnerable to increased scrutiny by police.

224

What is consistent however is that alleged offences
tend to be property crimes rather than crimes
against the person. While this offence type may be
categorised as serious, the most common alleged
property offence is shoplifting, which may itself be
driven by disadvantage.

222

Fifty-eight out of 73 alleged drug offences. Ibid

223 Ibid.
224

Key informant interview, Aboriginal Family Violence
Prevention Legal Service, 13 December 2012.