More than 10 Tasmanian assaults per day are not reported to police.
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That is according to figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, which found many Tasmanian victims of various types of crime never told police.
Police Minister Michael Ferguson urged witnesses or victims of crime to tell police, saying it was vital that crime be reported.
Mr Ferguson said: “Tasmania Police do a fantastic job catching criminals and keeping Tasmanians safe, and the Hodgman Liberal government is committed to continuing to give police the tools they need to crack down on police.”
“That’s why we are investing in our police service, employing an additional 113 police in our first term of government and recruiting 125 more in the next three and a half years.
“But in order for police to catch criminals, it is vital for victims and the public to report crimes.
“I’d urge anyone who witnesses or is the victim of crime to report it to 131 444 for non-urgent police assistance, or anonymously online at www.crimestopperstas.com.au
“In an emergency, call triple zero.”
Just 56.9 per cent of victims of physical assault in Tasmania in 2017-18 reported the most recent incident, the ABS estimated.
That would equate to 4400 assaults (more than 10 per day) not being reported in just one year.
The ABS estimated 10,200 Tasmanians (2.4 per cent) were physically assaulted in 2017-18, and 14,700 threatened with assault.
Just more than one third of Tasmanians threatened face-to-face with assault reported the most recent instance.
And only 50 per cent of people who had items stolen from motor vehicles told police.
It has long been known many victims of domestic violence and sexual assault do not tell police, despite increasing encouragement in society to do so,.
However, the figures released on Wednesday showed non-reporting extended to other types of crimes.
Even many victims of home break-ins did not report.
The ABS found just 65.2 per cent did so, as did 48.7 per cent of people subject to attempted break-ins.
The ABS found Tasmanians were less likely than Australians as a whole to be victims of break-ins, attempted break-ins, thefts from vehicles or malicious property damage.
The national and Tasmanian victimisation rates for physical assault were similar.
Tasmanians were more likely than all Australians to be threatened with assault, either face-to-face or otherwise.
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