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Scrap metal theft is a lucrative and attractive venture for thieves and a significant issue for the construction industry (Jones 2008). It appears to be facilitated by a largely unregulated scrap metal recycling industry, the relative ease of theft due to the openness and accessibility of construction sites, and encouraged by escalating metal prices. The price of copper, for example, has doubled since 2005.

Foreword | Armed robbery is a diverse, heterogeneous crime shaped by the presence or absence of a wide array of characteristics. Therefore, effectively preventing armed robbery requires a good understanding of the nature of the offence. Previous attempts to understand armed robbery have focused on the offender, primarily by interviewing incarcerated offenders to gain insight into their motivations and planning. However, this approach overlooks the unique vulnerabilities associated with the victim and/or the location of the offence.

Has violence in the workplace increased? Some sectors of the community believe that it has. Certainly the headlines on this page illustrate the justifiable anxieties of some of our public contact workers. Many public transport workers have been verbally or physically abused by the travelling public. For example, earlier this year a Canberra bus driver suffered a heart attack and died following an altercation with a man who refused to pay a bus fare. Banking staff have to cope with irate, aggressive customers as well as the prospect of facing a professional, violent criminal.

The Tom Price Youth Action Plan today received a bronze award in the police-led category of the 2021 Australian Crime and Violence Prevention Awards (ACVPA).

The ACVPA recognise best practice in the prevention or reduction of violence and other types of crime in Australia and play a vital role in highlighting effective community-based initiatives to prevent crime and violence.

Foreword | Over the past 10-15 years, although the overall use of firearms in violent crime has declined, handguns have increasingly become the firearm of choice in both Australia and other English-speaking countries. Handguns are often used as a means of protection, particularly among people involved in gangs and the drugs market, and their concealable nature, high firepower and large calibre are often cited as features prompting their acquisition by the criminal community.

Proceedings of a conference held 24-26 September 1991

Contents

• Opening Address
  Margaret Reynolds

Part 1: Women and the laws in Australia

• Introduction to part 1: Women and the laws in Australia
  Dr Patricia Easteal

The laws

• The incredible woman: a recurring character in criminal law
  Dr Jocelynne Scutt
• Invisible lives: women, dependence and the law
  Dr Suzanne Hatty
• Battered women who kill: a plea of self-defence
  Dr Patricia Easteal
• Rape prosecutions in Victoria

Project Walwaay today received a silver award in the police-led category of the 2021 Australian Crime and Violence Prevention Awards (ACVPA).

The ACVPA recognise best practice in the prevention or reduction of violence and other types of crime in Australia and play a vital role in highlighting effective community-based initiatives to prevent crime and violence.

Foreword | Closed circuit television‘s (CCTV) popularity as a solution to local crime problems continues to gain traction. Its broad community support and visibility as a tangible response to crime problems suggests that the demand for CCTV is unlikely to abate. However, many agencies have difficulty locating information on the practical considerations for implementing a CCTV system and only become aware of the real cost of CCTV after installing the system. Therefore, measures need to be taken to ensure knowledge of good practice in CCTV implementation is shared.

Operation Capesso today received a gold award in the police-led category of the 2023 Australian Crime and Violence Prevention Awards (ACVPAs).

The ACVPAs recognise best practice in the prevention or reduction of violence and other types of crime in Australia and play a vital role in highlighting effective community-based initiatives to prevent crime and violence before it occurs.

Foreword | Cannabis is the most prolifically used illicit drug in Australia, however, there is a gap in our understanding concerning the social interactions and friendships formed around its supply and use.

The authors recruited cannabis users aged between 18 and 30 years throughout Australia, to explore the impact of supply routes on young users and their perceived notions of drug dealing in order to provide valuable insight into the influence that reciprocal relationships have on young people’s access to cannabis.

Australian communities are developing innovative and effective community-based projects that help to reduce and prevent crime and violence in all their forms. The annual Australian Crime and Violence Prevention Awards aim to encourage public initiative and help governments develop practical programs to prevent and reduce crime and provide recognition to projects that have been particularly effective. In recognition of the police contribution to crime prevention, in 2006 awards were presented for the first time to two police specific projects or initiatives.

The Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) has released the latest statistical report from the National Deaths in Custody Program (NDICP), Deaths in custody in Australia 2020–21.

Deputy Director of the AIC, Dr Rick Brown said the AIC releases the program reports annually, however this report produces more timely statistics than in previous years, with the publication coming just five months after the end of the reporting period, rather than the usual 18 months.

Foreword | Arsonists and bushfire arsonists cause a considerable amount of damage to property, flora and fauna, endanger lives, and tie up the resources of the fire services. However, little research has been done on these offenders in Australia. This paper reports on data obtained on 1,232 arson defendants (133 of whom were known to be appearing for a bushfire arson offence), who appeared before NSW courts between 2001 and 2006.

New studies reveal the changing culture within outlaw motorcycle gangs in Australia

Foreword | In this paper, the authors describe recent developments in DNA technology. Key cases involving DNA evidence in Australia and overseas that occurred between 2003 and 2014 are used to illustrate the benefits and potential issues that can arise when new DNA techniques are applied to criminal investigations. Empirical data on the value of DNA evidence and DNA databases on investigative and court outcomes are outlined, demonstrating strong support for the value of DNA evidence to investigations and prosecutions.