SUBSTANTIAL falls in property crime have done nothing to boost the standing of police in the community — in fact their success has coincided with an increase in dissatisfaction.

The falls have consolidated declines over the past five years, attributed by experts to an improving economy and a national shortage of heroin.

But none of the good statistical news has comforted the general population. The number of people claiming they were satisfied or very satisfied with the police fell from 74.6 per cent in 2005-06 to 68.9 per cent in 2006-07. The number of people who believe that police treat people fairly and equally has also declined.

Along with decreases in robberies and home break-ins, there has been a dramatic fall in the number of cars being stolen, according to the Productivity Commission’s report on government services.

Residents are feeling safer in their own neighbourhoods, and commuters are also feeling safer on public transport. Harsher sentencing across most jurisdictions has meant many repeat offenders have been locked up, further freeing up police to concentrate on crime.

Nationally there were 5400 break-ins or attempted break-ins per 100,000 households in 2005, down from 7400 per 100,000 households in 2002 and 7600 in 1998. There were 370 victims of robbery per 100,000 in 2005, down from 600 in 2002.

Overall, there were 6200 household victims of property crime per 100,000 in 2005, a dramatic fall from 8900 in 2002, the time of the previous survey. There was a fall in the rate of household victims of property crime in all states.

Equally dramatic has been the 36.9 per cent fall in the number of victims of motor vehicle theft per 100,000 over the four years from 2002 to 2006. Nationally, 37.5 per cent of prisoners released in 2004-05 returned to prison within two years, a decline from 39.1 per cent in 2002-03.

Director of the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research Dr Don Weatherburn said a heroin shortage kicked off the drop in property crime from Christmas 2000, and there has been a steady fall ever since.

He said the two principal factors behind the drop had been an improving economy and a shortage of heroin, meaning fewer addicts being driven to crime to support their habits.

“Property crime rates kept on falling even after the availability and quality of heroin stabililised around 2002-03,” Dr Weatherburn said.

“The thing that kept the rates coming down after that was the economy. Real average weekly earnings were rising, long-term unemployment falling and those two things had a big effect on your burglary rate — which is a classic young person’s crime.”

Dr Weatherburn said the relatively high dissatisfaction rates with police despite dramatic improvements in crime rates was because most people did not believe crime was dropping.