Media Release

State burglary rate doubles

7 August 1996

Burglary in New South Wales has doubled since 1975, according to the Australian Institute of Criminology.

The Director of the Institute, Dr Adam Graycar, said today that, while some crime trends remained steady, burglary rates had leapt ahead in that period.

The reasons, said Dr Graycar, were complex but among them were:

• easier disposal of stolen goods
• improved technology which led to easier portability of stolen goods.

In an initiative to explore this problem, the Institute, together with the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research have organised a conference in Sydney next month (September 2) at the State Parliament Theatrette in Sydney.

Leading figures in the field of practical and theoretical research will consider the problem of property crime over a full day, said Dr Graycar.