DRUGS BLAMED FOR RISE IN HOLD-UPS

SOUTH Australia's armed robbery rate has increased by 30 per cent in 12
months -- to an average of more than one a day.

And police believe many of the robberies were committed by "opportunistic"
thieves needing cash to feed drug habits.

Figures obtained by The Advertiser yesterday reveal during the 1997/98
financial year there were 455 armed robberies.

This compares with 349 hold-ups in 1996/97, and 353 in 1995/96.

Detective Chief Superintendent Trevor Johnson, officer-in-charge of the
Crime Task Group, said the increase was of concern to police.

"Our intelligence is showing us that a lot of it is opportunistic crime,"
Chief Super-intendent Johnson said.

"The strategies for combating it are quite difficult."

Police believe a large number of hold-ups are committed by drug addicts.

"We are able to say, in relation to those people that we have contacted for
these type of offences, there are those that we know have illicit drug
habits," he said.

The figures also show:

ROBBERIES with firearms increased from 77 in 96/97 to 122 last financial year.

THE number of robberies with other weapons jumped from 272 to 333 in the
same period.

UNARMED robberies fell from 924 to 882.

Chief Superintendent Johnson said police had responded to the armed robbery
increase with "some quick arrests".

During 1997, SA Police produced a "clear-up" in almost 33 per cent of armed
robbery cases.

"We have been very, very successful with apprehensions on people who commit
these offences," he said.

"That is not to say we are not striving to get better."

A police task force -- Operation Counteract II -- was launched in June to
combat armed robberies, as well as Adelaide's spate of bag snatches.

In less than two months, Counteract II officers have arrested or reported
19 offenders.

Its success followed that of Operation Counteract I -- launched in November
and run by the Organised Crime Task Force -- which netted 48 people, who
were charged with a total of 185 offences.

Checked-by: (Joel W. Johnson)