The NSW Police Force has welcomed the findings of the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) evaluation of the Suspect Target Management Plan (STMP) which is released today.
The release coincides with the announcement of STMP-III, an enhanced initiative to further reduce an offender’s propensity for criminal activity through police targeting activities.
The BOCSAR evaluation monitored the offending rates in the 12 months before and after an individual was placed on the STMP-II and DV-STMP (for high risk domestic violence offenders).
Of the more than 11,000 individuals, the study found a 16% reduction in the likelihood of a new violent or property crime in the 12 months after being placed on the STMP. This reduction was even more significant for juveniles (24%) and domestic violence offenders (43%).
The evaluation highlights that police are correctly identifying individuals at a high risk of offending for STMP, and once placed on the STMP the individual’s risk of offending drops dramatically. Further, the report states that the reduction in crime predominantly occurred through deterrence.
Minister for Police and Emergency Services, David Elliott, was pleased to see significant reductions in property crime and domestic violence reoffending by individuals on the STMP.
“The results are outstanding and certainly place the Suspect Target Management Plan program as a world leading crime prevention initiative,” Mr Elliott said
“The advanced STMP-III will benefit victims first and foremost and is expected to improve the effectiveness of this already successful policing strategy.”
Like the plan before it, STMP-III promotes early intervention to positively influence behaviour of high-risk and prolific offenders but is broadened to focus on different types of offending via 3 streams: youth, prevention and disruption. Strategies include compliance checks, intelligence gathering and referrals to crime diversion programs.
Acting Commissioner of Police, Gary Worboys, said STMP-III will expand the policing capabilities to interrupt criminal behaviour, break criminal networks and bring offenders to justice.
“Our STMP is proven to be an effective tool to disrupt and prevent crimes such as repeat break-in, robbery offences and domestic violence offences,” Acting Commissioner Worboys said.
“The BOCSAR evaluation reinforces what police have known all along – STMPs reduce recidivist crime and keep youth at risk out of the criminal justice system through deterrence.
“Equally, STMPs help identify and monitor those people who continue to pose a serious threat to the community. We can act swiftly to bring offenders before the law courts when required.”
State Intelligence Commander, Assistant Commissioner Tony Crandell says the new STMP-III will keep those at risk out of the criminal justice system by using preventative strategies to address vulnerabilities that drive criminal behaviour.
“Deterrence of criminal behaviour because of police targeting activities was the primary reason for behavioural change, and the largest impact upon behavioural change was within the youth cohort,” Assistant Commissioner Crandell said.
“Through STMP-III we employ strategies to deal with the individual’s criminogenic factors such as mental health, drug/alcohol addiction and economic deprivation. We also use positive, productive strategies to extract targeted youth from the criminal justice system.”
STMP-III incorporates enhanced internal reporting and regular reviews by senior officers to ensure targeted strategies remain effective.
STMP-III has been trialled at Mt Druitt Police Area Command (PAC), Bankstown PAC and St George PAC and South Coast Police District. It will be rolled out across the state from early November 2020.
