NEWS: News.com.au - 25/05/09 'Australian crime wave non-existent'

[hoptis]

Australian crime wave 'non-existent'
AAP
May 25, 2009 03:30pm

A MAJORITY of Australians continue to believe crime is soaring when it isn't, and that courts treat offenders far too leniently when they don't.

The latest national survey of attitudes to crime and justice found 71 per cent favoured harsher sentences for lawbreakers, a figure which has remained relatively stable for two decades.

A majority also believe that to fight terrorism, the Government should be allowed to detain suspects indefinitely, tap phone conversations and stop and search people in the street at random but not torture.

Support for the death penalty continues to fall, with backing falling to 40 per cent, well down from more than 60 per cent two decades ago.

Australian Institute of Criminology research manager Judy Putt says crime researchers around the world are aware of the contradiction between the public view and the reality of the extent of crime and what happens to offenders.

Dr Putt said the survey showed a large majority would like more spent on law enforcement.

The survey showed a significant majority believed crime had increased during the past two years with 41.7 per cent saying there was a lot more crime and 23.2 per cent saying a little more.

Just under three per cent said there was less crime.

Actual crime statistics show a decrease in four major categories - murder, break-ins, car theft and theft - during the same time, the study said.

Australians also over-estimated the rate of violent crime.

Almost a quarter said violence accounts for up to 80 per cent of all crime, yet the true figure is 10 per cent.

Respondents also underestimated the rate of conviction for those charged with violent crime.

The real conviction figure is between 91-100 per cent, correctly nominated by just 1.8 per cent.

Similarly, almost 70 per cent estimated that under 30 per cent of home burglars go to jail.

The real figure was 31-40 per cent.

The results revealed a public sceptical about the criminal justice system, the commission said.

They perceived criminal victimisation to be a much greater risk than it really was, and the criminal justice system as being softer than it really was.

"These misperceptions are generally attributable to the main source of information respondents rely on for their picture of crime and criminal justice - the popular media,'' the study said.

News.com.au

Only 10% of reported crime involves violence... I can only guess what percentage is made up by drug offences.

 

[Crankinit]

"These misperceptions are generally attributable to the main source of information respondents rely on for their picture of crime and criminal justice - the popular media,'' the study said.

Right on the ball here. Constantly throw reports at people day and night of all the horrible things that are happening in society, and eventually they think those things are far more common than they actually are.