THE OFFENSES INCLUDED IN THE ANALYSIS--HOMICIDE, SERIOUS ASSAULT, ROBBERY, RAPE, BREAKING AND ENTERING, MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT, AND FRAUD AND FORGERY--ARE THOSE FOR WHICH STATISTICS ARE AVAILABLE ON A NATIONAL BASIS. TABLES AND GRAPHS SHOW BOTH NUMBERS AND RATES OF OFFENSES FOR THE COMMONWEALTH AND FOR INDIVIDUAL STATES AND TERRITORIES. AUSTRALIA'S RATE OF SERIOUS CRIME INCREASED BY MORE THAN 67 PERCENT OVER A 7-YEAR PERIOD DURING WHICH THE POPULATION INCREASED BY ONLY 11.5 PERCENT. HOMICIDE, ROBBERY, BREAKING AND ENTERING, AND MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY. HOWEVER, FOR THREE OF THESE FOUR OFFENSES, DECREASES IN RATES ARE DISCERNIBLE TOWARD THE END OF THE PERIOD. CRIME RATES VARY WIDELY AMONG THE DIFFERENT STATES AND TERRITORIES, AN INDICATION THAT THE CRITICAL QUESTION IS NOT WHETHER CRIME IS INCREASING NATIONALLY BUT RATHER WHICH CRIMES IN WHICH JURISDICTIONS ARE INCREASING AT RATES HIGHER THAN THE NORM. THE DATA INDICATE THAT SERIOUS ATTENTION SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO THE NORTHERN TERRITORY, WHERE RATES ARE HIGHER THAN THOSE IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS FOR NEARLY EVERY CRIME AND RATES OF INCREASE HAVE BEEN REMARKABLY HIGH. ALSO OF INTEREST ARE THE HIGH RATES OF ROBBERY, BREAKING AND ENTERING, AND MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT IN NEW SOUTH WALES AND VICTORIA. THE QUESTION ARISES AS TO WHY VICTORIA AND QUEENSLAND, WHICH HAVE ALMOST IDENTICAL CAR OWNERSHIP RATES, HAVE VASTLY DIFFERENT MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT RATES. THE STATISTICS ALSO SHOW THAT THE AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY, WHERE CAREFUL PLANNING MIGHT BE EXPECTED TO HAVE MINIMIZED CRIME, DOES NOT HAVE THE LOWEST CRIME RATE IN AUSTRALIA. OTHER QUESTIONS SUGGESTED BY THE STATISTICS ARE NOTED, TOGETHER WITH DEFICIENCIES IN THE DATA. PARTICULAR ATTENTION IS DIRECTED TO THE UNRELIABILITY OF STATISTICS ON SERIOUS ASSAULT, TO THE EXCLUSION OF THE OFFENSES OF LARCENY AND ARSON FROM THE NATIONAL COLLECTION SYSTEM, AND TO THE LACK OF RECENT STATISTICS. FUTURE ANALYSES WILL ALSO BE HINDERED BY THE AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS' DECISION TO CHANGE ITS COLLECTION PERIOD FROM THE CALENDAR YEAR TO THE FINANCIAL YEAR. EIGHT TABLES AND FIFTEEN GRAPHS ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)