Contact between the police and the regional population is recorded as persons are apprehended by the police (either via arrest or summons), or are diverted (as juveniles) through the cautioning system and referred to the Juvenile Diversion Division. Data on offences reported in this way at Wadeye, including all reported offences for which no offenders were apprehended, are shown in Table 8.1 for 2002. A total of 329 offences were reported, one third of which involved property damage, 29 per cent involved assault, 18 per cent were for unlawful entry into dwellings and businesses, with a similar proportion for motor vehicle and other theft. It should be noted, of course, that these are reported offences—not reported offenders―with the latter almost certainly far fewer in number.
Table 8.1. Reported offences by category: Wadeye, 2002
|
Offence category |
No. reported |
% of all offences |
|---|---|---|
|
Assault |
89 |
27.5 |
|
Sexual assault |
4 |
1.2 |
|
Other against the person |
2 |
0.6 |
|
Unlawful entry – dwelling |
23 |
7.1 |
|
Unlawful entry – business |
33 |
10.2 |
|
Motor vehicle theft |
13 |
4.0 |
|
Other theft |
46 |
14.2 |
|
Property damage |
111 |
34.3 |
|
Other property offences |
3 |
0.9 |
|
Total |
324 |
100.0 |
Source: Northern Territory Office of Crime Prevention, Darwin