NSW Recorded Crime Statistics 2014

Full report - NSW Recorded Crime Statistics 2014 (PDF, 1.2 MB) 

Release date: 10.30am Thursday, 16 April 2015                

Statewide trends

In the two years to December 2014, only one major offence showed a significant upward trend, eight were trending downward and the remaining eight offences were stable. The offence trending up was steal from dwelling (up 3.2%).

The offences trending down were:

• robbery without a weapon (down 21.7%);
• robbery with a weapon not a firearm (down 14.5%);
• break and enter dwelling (down 3.8%);
• break and enter non-dwelling (down 12.8%); 
• steal from motor vehicle (down 4.7%);
• steal from retail store (down 6.2%);
• steal from person (down 14.6%); and
• malicious damage to property (down 10.8%). 

Most of the increase in steal from dwelling (88%) appears to be due to an increase in offences occurring outside residential buildings, including thefts from yards, carports, garages, verandahs, driveways and sheds. Common items stolen from these locations (i.e. outside the house) include parts of the house such as hot water systems, mail, letterboxes, bicycles, scooters, tools and garden accessories.  

Regional trends: Greater Sydney

Although most of the major categories of crime were stable or falling, there were some notable exceptions. In the Greater Sydney Statistical Area, there were notable increases in the areas of:

• North Sydney and Hornsby (steal from dwelling up 37.5%);
• Parramatta (sexual assault up 32%); and
• Ryde (steal from dwelling up 45%).

Regional trends: Outside Greater Sydney

The most notable problem outside Greater Sydney was a 22.5 per cent increase in break and enter (non-dwelling) in the Far West and Orana Statistical Area. Nine of the 17 major offence categories in this region are now more than twice the state rate.

Statewide trends outside the top 17 categories

The number of arrests for amphetamine-related offences (including methamphetamine or ‘ice’) has continued to increase.

Over the 24 months to December 2014, the number of arrests for amphetamine possession increased by 36.3 per cent, while the number of arrests for amphetamine dealing rose by 27.6%. There are large increases in the recorded rates of amphetamine-related offences in regional NSW as well as in parts of Sydney.

The recorded number of prohibited and regulated weapons offences increased by 20 per cent but this increase is likely due to Police Operation Talon, which is focusing on gun crime.

Non-fatal shootings have remained stable over the last 24 months.  This offence was also stable over the last five and ten years.

There has been a 489 per cent increase in the recorded number of prostitution offences in NSW. This increase appears to be solely due to targeted police activity in the Kings Cross Local Area Command.

Comments on the findings

Commenting on the findings, Dr Weatherburn said that it was reassuring to see that only one of the top 17 major offences had increased over the last two years.

“However the continued growth in arrests for amphetamine-related offences is a matter of concern. The rise in arrests for amphetamine use and dealing is consistent with drug survey data in suggesting a rise in methamphetamine consumption.”

National survey data, for example, shows that in 2013, about 1.3 million (7.0%) Australians had used meth/amphetamines in their lifetime and 400,000 (2.1%) had done so in the last 12 months.

There has also been a significant increase in the proportion of users taking it daily or weekly (from 9.3% to 15.5%), particularly among ice users (from 12.4% to 25.3%).

Further enquiries: Dr Don Weatherburn (02) 8346 1100
Copies of the report: www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au