NSW Recorded Crime Statistics: September 2012 Quarterly Report

Release date: Thursday, 6 December 2012 Embargo: 9am

Major statewide trends

Fraud is up, drive-by shooting incidents have stabilized and there have been significant reductions in the recorded incidence of non-domestic assault, unarmed robbery, theft offences and malicious damage to property

These are the key trends to emerge from the latest quarterly crime report released by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research. The report covers trends in recorded crime in NSW over the 24 month period to September 2012.

In the 24 months to September 2012, fraud increased by 9.4 per cent, non-domestic assault fell by 7.8 per cent, robbery without a weapon fell by 7.2 per cent, break and enter non-dwelling fell by 2.5 per cent, steal from the person fell by 2.2 per cent and malicious damage to property fell by 5.2 per cent.

A total of 1,378 trend tests on major offences for the 24 months to September 2012 were conducted across 154 Local Government Areas (LGAs), with 85.8 per cent of tests stable, 9.8 per cent down and 4.4 per cent up, compared with 84.0 per cent, 12.4 per cent and 3.6 per cent respectively for the 24 months to September 2011.

Major regional trends

There were no upward trends in any of the major categories of crime for the Richmond-Tweed, Northern, North Western, Central West, Murrumbidgee and Murray statistical divisions (SDs). Six SDs recorded an upward trend in one offence and were as follows:

• Inner Sydney: Fraud (up 22.8%)
• St George- Sutherland: Fraud (up 17.5%)
• Canterbury-Bankstown: Steal from retail store (up 18.9%) and fraud (up 20.0%)
• Fairfield-Liverpool: Fraud (up 21.4%)
• Outer South Western Sydney: Steal from motor vehicle (up 32.0%), steal from retail store (up 14.6%) and fraud (up 20.1%)
• Inner Western Sydney: Steal from dwelling (up 29.9%)
• Central Western Sydney: Steal from motor vehicle (up 17.0%)
• Lower Northern Sydney: Steal from dwelling (up 29.0%)
• Newcastle: Robbery with a weapon not a firearm (up 61.1%)
• Wollongong: Steal from motor vehicle (up 16.0%) and fraud (up 11.1%).

The downward trend in assault on licensed premises has continued from the previous quarter (down 11.5%). A significant downward trend was present for both hotels/pubs (down 11.8%) and clubs (down 15.1%). Over the last two years the number of incidents of assault with a glass/bottle has declined by 17.9 per cent across NSW as a whole and 18.3 per cent for Sydney SD.

The two worst months in the past decade for 'drive-by' shooting incidents (i.e. incidents involving 'discharge firearm into premises' or 'unlawfully discharge firearm') occurred in April and July this year. Despite these spikes, however, the trend in drive-by shooting incidents over the last 24 months is neither significantly up or down.

For the offence criminal intent, which recorded a significant upward trend, it is worth noting that more than 80 per cent of the rise was being generated by growth in the NSW Police incident category of consorting.

Comments on major trends

The significant uptrend in fraud for NSW is driven mainly by service station drive-offs but there has been a significant increase in fraud at other business/commercial premises, including chemists, general stores, supermarkets and electronic sales premises.

More than 40 per cent of the significant downtrend in non-domestic violence related assault came from a decline in recorded assault in outdoor/public places. Licensed premises accounted for 18 per cent of the fall. Non-domestic assaults on residential and educational premises respectively accounted for 11 per cent and 10 per cent of the overall decline.

Robbery with a weapon not a firearm continued its upward trend in two SDs (Hunter and Mid-North Coast) and one metropolitan SSD (Newcastle).

The growth in this offence over the 24 months to September 2012 for the Hunter seems to be spreading across business/commercial premises (service stations, takeaway food outlets, chemists, newsagents and general stores). The growth for the Mid-North Coast was shared across residential, outdoor/ public places and licensed premises.

Further enquiries: Jackie Fitzgerald 9231 9190