Press release from the Australian Institute of Criminology
The Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) today released the new-look Facts & Figures dynamic online crime stats tool, which shows up-to-date statistical trends across a range of offences. The online tool is an excellent resource for policy-makers, researchers and students, as some of the crime trend data goes back 30 years. The tool is now even more responsive to data inquiries.
As the gun control debate flared in the United States at the end of 2012, the Facts & figures online tool received a remarkable number of hits from the US, as people checked graphs that show the declining incidence, in Australia, of firearm use in armed robbery and homicide.
The online tool can explore some of the key trends related to crime. In particular, users can:
- review the downward trend in victimisation rates that has been evident for a number of years. This is particularly noticeable amongst the high volume crimes such as sexual assault, robbery and other theft.
- compare the use of weapons in selected violent crimes, noting the changes that have occurred over time – for instance, firearms were used in approximately seven per cent of robberies in 2011 compared with 11 per cent in 1995.
- examine the differences in crime victimisation profiles for males and females or juveniles and adults.
Access the AIC Facts & Figures online data tool.