BURGLARY A PAYING BUSINESS

A survey of burglars has found that half earn more than $2000 a week from
their crimes. Heroin-dependents offend at a much higher rate (13 burglaries
a month) than non-dependents (nine burglaries).

The extra burglaries mean heroin users have the highest median weekly
burglary income at $3000, while the figure for juveniles and non-users of
heroin is $1000.

The survey found 70 per cent of the burglars admitted swapping stolen goods
for illegal drugs. Only 40 per cent of offenders in 1984 swapped stolen
goods for drugs but that figure had almost doubled to 70 per cent. Other
methods of disposal included selling stolen goods to family and friends,
legitimate businesses and secondhand shops.

The survey, by New South Wales' Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research,
involved interviews with 267 burglars in NSW prisons and juvenile detention
centres.

The bureau director, Dr Don Weatherburn, said the role of the drug dealer
had grown enormously since the last survey in 1984. Nearly 80 per cent of
respondents had stolen goods to order and in nearly all the cases where
stolen goods were sold to legitimate businesses, the burglars claimed the
business buying the goods knew they were stolen.

Checked-by: Mike Gogulski