NSW Recorded Crime Statistics quarterly update September 2019

Full report: NSW Recorded Crime Statistics quarterly update Sept 2019 (PDF, 1.2 MB)

Embargo: 10.30am, Wednesday 04 December 2019

State-wide trends

Crime across most of NSW has remained stable or fallen over the last two years.

The only major exception to this is stealing from a retail store (up 9%). Half of the increase in retail theft is due to more thefts from licensed premises. The most commonly stolen item is alcoholic liquor (stolen in a third of incidents). 

Four offences have trended down over the last 24 months. The remaining 12 offences were stable. The offences trending down were:

  1. break and enter - dwelling (down 6.1%)
  2. steal from dwelling (down 2.8%)
  3. steal from person (down 5.8%)
  4. malicious damage to property (down 3.7%)

Greater Sydney Statistical Area
Despite the falls in crime just listed, some parts of the Greater Sydney Statistical Area exhibited big increases in some categories of crime. 

  • Sexual assault - up 39.4% in North Sydney/Hornsby (from 132 to 184 incidents)
  • Indecent assault – up 27.3% in Outer South West Sydney (from 278 to 354 incidents) and up 43.0% in Sutherland (from 114 to 163 incidents).
  • Domestic violence related assault -  up 40.0% in Ryde (from 295 to 413 incidents)
  • Stealing from a retail store increased in 6 of the 15 Sydney Statistical Areas 

Regional NSW
Regional NSW saw the following upward trends:

  • Stealing from a retail store increased in 5 of the 13 Regional Statistical Areas.
  • Motor vehicle theft increased in Central West (up 37.8% from 360 to 496 incidents), Hunter Valley excluding Newcastle (up 12.1% from 713 to 799 incidents and Murray (up 33.6% from 229 to 306 incidents).
  • Sexual assault increased in New England/North West (up 24.9% from 241 to 301 incidents).

Other noteworthy trends
Possess/use of amphetamines continues to increase (up 9.6%) reaching a new monthly high of 792 incidents in August 2019.  This upward trend is apparent in Sydney and regional NSW, with a 59% increase in the Riverina accounting for a quarter of the increase in regional NSW.

Further enquiries: Jackie Fitzgerald, Acting Executive Director, 83461100

Copies of the report: www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au



Last updated:

26 Jun 2024