Victoria Police distorted crime figures to make it appear they had solved more cases than they actually had, an Ombudsman’s report has revealed.
The investigation into crime statistics and police numbers found that some criminals had unrelated, unsolved offences added to their files without their knowledge to “clear up” timberland boot crime rates, the report said.
Ombudsman George Brouwer timberland sale said police misused recording procedures “to make it appear that more crime has been successfully solved than is actually the case”.
The police watchdog, the Office of Police Integrity (OPI), will investigate the timberland boots uk claims which new chief commissioner Simon Overland denies are widespread.
Mr Brouwer also found antiquated, time-consuming administrative practices had led to under-reporting of crime.
The report recommends the OPI investigate recording procedures for clearance rates and any falsification of police records.
Mr Overland said only one case of clearance rate distortion had been referred to the OPI for investigation.
“As best I can tell there is one instance that they’re talking about,” Mr Overland told reporters.
“If that’s happened, clearly that’s of concern and it should go to the OPI and we should get to the bottom of it.
“If there are more we need to know about it.”
The police union said it was not in the timberland boots sale interests of its members to cook the books to make the crime statistics look better.
Police Association secretary Greg Davies said some fault lies with the system which he described as “cumbersome”.
“The statistics are going to be as accurate as the system allows them to be,” Mr Davies said.
“But I don’t think even the Ombudsman has been able to find evidence of people deliberately cooking the books.
“It’s not in the interests of any operational police officer to do that.”
Crime in Victoria is captured on the Law Enforcement Assistance Program (LEAP) database, which is set for an overhaul with a new $59 million technology system to be rolled out at the end of timberland boots cheap 2009.
Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu said the report proved LEAP could not be relied on for accurate reporting of crime figures and called for an audit of the entire system.
“The Ombudsman makes it clear in this report, even Victoria Police have been concerned, that figures may be manipulated in order to attract different resources, in order to meet government targets on policing, in order to reduce certain crime stats in particular areas.”
In parliament, Mr Baillieu accused the government of trying to cover up the problem of record crime instead of fixing it.
Victorian Premier John Brumby retaliated, saying Victoria was the safest state in Australia and this was reflected in the Ombudsman’s report.
Mr Brumby said while one case of police clearance distortion had been referred to the OPI, he told parliament the report had not identified any manipulation of crime figures or police numbers.
“The Ombudsman’s investigation found no evidence that the crime statistics or police numbers have been or are subject to manipulation or falsification by Victoria Police members,” Mr Brumby said.
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