NSW: Crime rates not linked to police numbers - Costa

AAP General News (Australia)
12-13-2001
NSW: Crime rates not linked to police numbers - Costa

SYDNEY, Dec 13 AAP - Linking soaring crime rates in NSW to lack of police officers
was simplistic, state Police Minister Michael Costa said today.

The NSW Auditor-General's report revealed today that crime rates in the state were
above the national average in almost every category last year.

Armed and unarmed robberies in NSW were the highest out of eight states and territories,
while the sexual assault rate in NSW also soared, the report found.

Property crimes were also above the national average.

Meanwhile, police numbers per head of population were below the national average, the
report said.

"There were 260 police staff per 100,000 population in NSW in 1999-2000, compared to
the national average of 271," it said.

Mr Costa conceded the government faced a challenge in bringing down crime rates but
said beefing up the police service was a "simplistic" approach that would not work.

"That approach will not work, it doesn't deal with the complexity of the crime problem,"

he told reporters.

"I'm not complacent about this issue - the community believes we've got to do more
about crime and certainly that's part of my agenda.

"But I don't believe we can resolve crime solely by policing.

"There are social dimensions to the crime problem, there are planning issues, there
are local community inputs that are needed."

Mr Costa said he was seeking to bring together all government agencies to attack the
crime problem in a whole-of-government approach.

He also renewed the government's pledge to expand the service to a 14,400-strong force
by December 2003, with the majority to be stationed on the frontline.

There are currently 13,554 officers in NSW.

Mr Costa said the delays in meeting the 30-day deadline for investigations as revealed
in the report was of concern.

But the complexity of cases in NSW could be to blame, he said.

"It is alarming but you have to deal with the complexity of crime patterns - we may
well have more complex crimes in this state," Mr Costa said.

Concerns was also raised the rising numbers of police who were taking sick leave due
to anxiety or stress.

Last year, 722 police officers or administrative staff took leave under this category
compared with 606 the year before.

Mr Costa said his new ministerial advisory council would be asked to examine the trend.

"Policing is a very, very difficult occupation," he said.

"It is an alarming figure, but certainly that will be one of the things the ministerial
advisory council will be looking at."

AAP ls/arb/las/de

KEYWORD: AUDIT CRIME COSTA

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