White paper on crime 2012 Part4/Chapter4/Section1

Section 1 Trends in Offenses

Fig. 4-4-1-1 shows the number of persons cleared for non-traffic penal code offenses by age group over the last 20 years. Unlike the other age groups, the number of elderly persons cleared was increasing significantly, with the number in 2011 being approximately 6.3 times that of 1992.

Fig. 4-4-1-1 Number of persons cleared for non-traffic penal code offenses by age group (1992-2011)

Fig. 4-4-1-2 shows the rate per population of persons cleared for non-traffic penal code offenses by age group over the last 20 years. The rate per population of elderly persons cleared was relatively low when compared to other age groups. Examining the rate of increase in the rate per population by age group revealed, however, that the rate per population rose in 2011 from 1992 by approximately 1.1 times with the 20-29 age group, approximately 1.4 times with the 30-39 age group, approximately 1.3 times with the 40-49 age group, and approximately 1.7 times with the 50-64 age group, whereas it rose by as much as approximately 3.4 times with elderly persons, thereby indicating the remarkable increase in the rate per population of elderly persons. As indicated above, the increase of elderly offenders in recent years far exceeded that of the total elderly population.

Fig. 4-4-1-2 Rate per population of persons cleared for non-traffic penal code offenses by age group (1992-2011)

Fig. 4-4-1-3 shows the percent distribution of elderly persons cleared for non-traffic penal code offenses by gender and type of offense in 2011. When compared to all non-traffic penal code offenses, theft was of the highest proportion with respect to elderly persons, especially with females at 91.9%, and with shoplifting being remarkably high at 80.8%.

Fig. 4-4-1-3 Percent distribution of elderly persons cleared for non-traffic penal code offenses by gender and type of offense (2011)

Fig. 4-4-1-4 shows the number of elderly persons cleared for several penal code offenses over the last 20 years. The number of elderly persons cleared was increasing over the last 20 years for theft, and accounted for the majority of elderly persons cleared for non-traffic penal code offenses. In addition, the number was also increasing for the serious offenses such as homicide and robbery and for the violent offenses such as injury and assault.

Fig. 4-4-1-4 Number of elderly persons cleared by type of offense (1992-2011)