NSW Recorded Crime Statistics quarterly updates: June 2010

 

Release date: 8 September 2010

Click here for the full report (pdf, 160Kb)

The latest crime statistics released by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research show that, in the 24 months to June this year, 12 of the 17 major categories of crime were stable and five were down (i.e. none rose). The five crimes that decreased across the State were:

  1. Break and enter (dwelling): down 6.0%
  2. Break and enter (non-dwelling): down 15.3%
  3. Motor vehicle theft: down 4.9%
  4. Stealing from a motor vehicle: down 9.7%
  5. Malicious damage to property: down 9.7%


Although assault across the State as a whole remained stable, assaults on licensed premises fell by 10.8%.

Increases were recorded in a number of offences outside the top 17 categories, including breach bail (up 7.2%), failure to appear in court (up 24.6%) and a number of drug offence categories, including use/possess cocaine (up 76.6%) and use/possess narcotics (up 11.9%).

While it is difficult to tell whether these changes reflect intensified law enforcement, increased crime or both, the increase in arrests for use/possess cocaine and use/possess narcotics is almost certainly indicative of increased cocaine and narcotics consumption.

The pattern for most areas mirrored that for the State as a whole but some areas bucked the statewide trend.

The Sydney Statistical Division recorded an upward trend in sexual assault of 11.3%, with increases in the Eastern Suburbs and Outer Western Sydney Statistical Subdivisions (up by 51.7% and 38.3% respectively).

The Northern Beaches experienced a 34.5% increase in unarmed robbery.

Stealing from retail stores increased in three Statistical Divisions (Mid-North Coast up 15.3%, Central West (up 22.6%) and South Eastern (up 35.7%) and two Sydney Statistical Subdivisions (Lower Northern Sydney up 9.4% and Northern Beaches up 17.3%).

The most commonly stolen objects in stealing from retail store incidents in the three Statistical Divisions above were clothing/footwear (up 80.2% to 218 incidents in the 12 months to June 2010) and liquor (up 15.2% to 114 incidents).

Canterbury-Bankstown Statistical Subdivision experienced a 23.0% increase in fraud, mostly associated with retail stores.

Further enquiries: Dr Don Weatherburn 0419-494-408