NSW recorded crime statistics quarterly updates: September 2008

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Release date: 10 December 2008, 9am

The latest quarterly crime statistics released by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research show 16 out of the 17 major crime categories are either stable or falling.

Statewide trends
Over the 24 months to September 2008, decreases were recorded in:

Steal from motor vehicle, which had been increasing, is now stable. The only major category of crime to show an upward trend was fraud, which increased by 19.1%. Service station fraud (commonly known as petrol theft) accounted for 41% of the increase in fraud incidents.

There were a number of increasing trends outside the 17 major crime trends. These included

• possession/use of cocaine (up 37.5%),
• possession/use of cannabis (up 18.2%),
• possession/use of ecstasy (up 55.4%),
• possession/use of other drugs (up 29.6%),
• other drug offences (up 11.2%)
• offensive conduct (up 29.0%),
• breach bail conditions (up 26.9%),
• fail to appear (up 36.1%) and
• transport regulatory offences (up 12.1%)

The upward trends in illicit drug offences are likely to reflect a combination of increased illicit drug use and increased drug law enforcement.

The increases in offensive conduct, breach bail conditions, fail to appear and transport regulatory offences are likely to be driven to a large extent by policing activity.

Regional trends
The upward trend in fraud at the State level stems from an increase in the Sydney Statistical Division. In the 24 months to September 2008, fraud increased in 11 of the 14 Subdivisions within Sydney: Inner Sydney (up 13.9%), Canterbury-Bankstown (up 20.7%), Fairfield-Liverpool (up 36.3%), Outer South Western Sydney (up 48.6%), Inner Western Sydney (up 24.9%), Central Western Sydney (up 16.7%), Outer Western Sydney (up 19.5%), Blacktown (up 22.7%), Lower Northern Sydney (up 30.2%), Central Northern Sydney (up 31.0%). and Gosford-Wyong (up 15.7%).

In the 24 months to September 2008, steal from motor vehicle increased in three Statistical Divisions: North Western (up 9.7%), Central West (up 43.3%) and Murrumbidgee (up 20.6%). Within the Sydney Statistical Division it increased in two Statistical Subdivisions: Fairfield-Liverpool (up 10.8%) and Gosford-Wyong (up 28.9%). Only one Statistical Division showed a decrease for this offence: Richmond-Tweed (down 13.6%).

In the 24 months to September 2008, the best performing LGAs were Wollongong with downward trends for seven of the 17 major offences and Sydney with downward trends for five of the 17 major offences. The worst performing LGA was Forbes with upward trends for four of the 17 major offences: break and enter - dwelling (up 37.5%), break and enter - non-dwelling (up 94.6%), steal from motor vehicle (up 54.5%) and steal from dwelling (50.0%).

Further enquiries: Dr Don Weatherburn 9231-9190, 0419-494-408.