Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research > Media Releases > 2010

NSW recorded crime statistics quarterly updates: September 2010


Click here for the full report (pdf, 141Kb)

Release date: 07 December 2010

The number of recorded assaults on licensed premises has fallen by nine per cent over the 24 months to September 2010, according to figures released today by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research ( see attached graph in pdf - 42Kb).

Statewide changes

The Bureau's figures show that across the State as a whole:

  • Nine offences of the 17 major categories of crime were stable and eight were trending downwards. No offences were trending upwards.
  • The offences trending downwards were: assault - non-domestic violence related (down 2.0%), robbery without a weapon (down 6.1%), break and enter dwelling (down 2.4%), break and enter non-dwelling (down 14.1%), motor vehicle theft (down 8.0%), steal from motor vehicle (down 5.1%), steal from person (down 8.2%) and malicious damage to property (down 10.2%).
Regional changes

The regional changes were generally down but, as usual, some areas of NSW did experience an increase in recorded crime.

  • Six Statistical Divisions (SDs) and nine Metropolitan Statistical Subdivisions (SSDs) reported no upward trends in any of the major offences.
  • Sexual assault was stable at the State level, however the North Western SD recorded an upward trend of 20.3 per cent. The upward trend was focused in the Cobar Local Government Area (LGA) (where the number of sexual assaults went from 4 to 19) and the Mid-Western Regional LGA (where the number of sexual assaults went from 14 to 22). Note that this increase may have been a result of joint activity by Police and Community Services to encourage more reporting of child sexual assault.
  • The Central Coast SSD also recorded a 10.4 per cent uptrend for sexual assault with the Wyong LGA recording a 12.0 per cent rise (from 142 to 159 incidents).
  • Although stable at the State level, steal from retail store is trending upwards in five SDs: Mid-North Coast (up 19.5%), Central West (up 24.6%), South Eastern (up 33.8%), Murrumbidgee (up 6.1%) and Far West (up 30.6%). Outer Western Sydney also showed a significant (14.1%) increase in stealing from a retail store. The growth in stealing from a retail store is coming from alcoholic beverages (up 38.8%), jewellery (up 18.3%) and tobacco (up 10.6%).
Offences outside the major 17 crime categories

There were a number of significant changes outside the major 17 crime categories.

  • Eight showed an upward trend. Six of these were drug offences: possession and/or use of cocaine (up 45.4%), possession and/or use of cannabis (up 32.5%), possession and/or use of amphetamines (up 33.6%), possession and/or use of other drugs (up 37.9%), dealing, trafficking in other drugs (up 68.2%) and other drug offences (up 8.8%).
  • As was reported last quarter, half of the increase in possession and/or use of cocaine came from the Sydney LGA with a 51.3% upward trend. Six Sydney LGAs account for about two thirds of the incidents. There were no LGAs with an uptrend in possession and/or use of narcotics. Three LGAs recorded significant upward trends in the possession and/or use of amphetamines: Penrith (up 44.4%), Liverpool (up 75.6%) and Campbelltown (up 60.0%).
  • NSW police data also shows increases in fail to appear (up 26.7%) and transport regulatory offences (up 25.1%).

Commenting on the changes, the Director of the Bureau, Dr Don Weatherburn, said that the fall in assaults on licensed premises was very encouraging and was probably due to the tougher line now being taken against licensed premises that are repeatedly the site of violent behaviour.

"The increases in possession and use of cocaine and possession and use of amphetamines are probably indicative of increased use of these drugs, as past research has shown that arrests for possession and use of cocaine and amphetamines increase whenever overdoses on these drugs increase."

"The increases in failing to appear in court and transport regulatory offences, on the other hand, are probably due to increased law enforcement activity".

Further enquiries: Dr Don Weatherburn 02 9231 9190 (work) 0419-494-408 (mobile)

Graph in pdf (42Kb) Assault recorded by NSW Police, occurring on licensed premises October 1995 to September 2010