Crime and justice research Offence trends

The research described in the Changing patterns in the age distribution of crime in Queensland report shows substantial changes in the age of offenders. When comparing 2008–09 with 2017–18:

• there were fewer offenders overall, committing more offences on average
• the decline in offenders was driven by a decrease in younger offenders, as older offender rates tended to increase
• changes in the age distribution of crime meant that young offenders (aged under 25 years) accounted for less crime in total than that in the past.

Analyses presented in the Spatial and temporal distribution of reported offences in Queensland report highlight the importance of place–based criminal justice initiatives. They showed that:

• crime rates vary across location and time, but some locations consistently experienced either growing or declining crime rates between 2008–09 and 2017–18
• with the exception of drug offences, crime has become slightly less concentrated in terms of geographical distribution
• the share of crime experienced by socially and economically disadvantaged locations has increased slightly.