Violent Property Crime - Media Release

OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF BOOK TITLED VIOLENT PROPERTY CRIME

The book Violent Property Crime, authored by David Indermaur at the Crime Research Centre will be officially launched by the Police Minister the Honourable Bob Wiese this afternoon at 4.15 pm (1st of June) at University House, The University of Western Australia.

The book contains the findings of a two year investigation into the nature and extent of violence associated with property crime in Western Australia. This study was initially funded by a grant made available by the Police Minister in the previous government - the Honourable Graham Edwardes.

The study was a commissioned following a series of disturbing incidents where car thieves and burglars used violence against property owners. The study examined the nature of the victim-offender confrontation and the evidence that violence in the community was increasing. The book puts the rise in acquisitive crimes such as burglary and robbery in a social context and raises questions about the relationship between masculinity and violence in Australian society.

The book contains a comprehensive review of the literature on how violence arises in the course of a property crime, and the trends in violent and property crime in Australia. To explore the motives for violence in the course of a property crime 88 prison ers were interviewed about their use of violence in a property crime. The 123 accounts provided by the 88 prisoners point to the way offenders usually feel justified in using violence and identified the high proporti on of offenders that were high on drugs or alcohol when they perpetrated the crime. Victims were also interviewed. The book contains one of the first complete analyses of Australian victimisation surveys. This analysis led to the development of an importa nt distinction between acquisitive crime and aggressive crime. The book concludes with recommendations for crime prevention.

The book is the first in a new series entitled Australasian Studies in Criminology - which is produced under the auspices of the Cr ime Research Centre at The University of Western Australia, the Institute of Criminology at the University of Sydney, the Institute of Criminology, Victoria University of Wellington at the University of Wellington and Federation Press. The Editorial Board of the Series comprises a group of Australasia s leading criminologists. The book is published by The Federation Press, sells for $45.00 and is available from the University Co-op Bookshop at UWA.

Enquiries: David Indermaur - ph 6488 3840, fax 6488 1034