NSW Recorded Crime Statistics quarterly update: March 2012

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Release date: 1 June 2012 Embargo: 9:00am

Shooting incidents have stabilised, assaults on licensed premises and muggings are down, but indecent assault, act of indecency and other sexual offences are up, as are theft offences, according to crime figures released today by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research.

The Bureau's March quarterly report covers trends in recorded crime in NSW over the 24 month period to March 2012.

According to the Bureau, there were 10 fewer incidents in the two categories of 'discharge firearm into premises' and 'unlawfully discharge firearm' in March quarter 2012 than in December quarter 2011.

Over the 24 months to March 2012, assaults on hotel premises fell by 7.7 per cent, while assaults on club premises fell by 11.0 per cent.

The number of incidents of assault with a glass/bottle in Sydney declined by more than 25 per cent (25.6%).

Unarmed robbery fell by 13.7 per cent.

Three major offence types are trending up across the State. These are indecent assault, act of indecency and other sexual offences (up 5.2%); steal from motor vehicle (up 8.7%); and steal from dwelling (up 2.4%).

The upward trends were quite widespread. The South Eastern Statistical Division (SD) was the only SD that did not report an uptrend. The eleven SDs that showed upward trends in at least one offence were as follows:

Twelve from sixteen metropolitan Statistical Subdivisions (SSDs) showed upward trends in at least one offence. They were as follows:

1. Eastern Suburbs: Steal from dwelling (up 18.2%)
2. Canterbury-Bankstown: Indecent assault, act of indecency and other sexual offences (up 38.3%), steal from motor vehicle (up 34.7%), steal from retail store (up 40.1%) and steal from dwelling (up 10.5%)
3. Fairfield-Liverpool: Steal from motor vehicle (up 22.9%) and steal from dwelling (up 30.0%)
4. Outer South Western Sydney: Indecent assault, act of indecency and other sexual offences (up 36.6%), steal from motor vehicle (up 15.6%) and steal from retail store (up 11.2%)
5. Inner Western Sydney: Steal from dwelling (up 11.7%)
6. Central Western Sydney: Domestic violence related assault (up 6.4%) and steal from motor vehicle (up 12.9%)
7. Outer Western Sydney: Break and enter non-dwelling (up 20.2%)
8. Blacktown: Steal from dwelling (up 15.1%) and steal from person (up 13.5%)
9. Lower Northern Sydney: Robbery with a weapon not a firearm (up 77.4%)
10. Central Coast: Motor vehicle theft (up 12.3%), steal from motor vehicle (up 16.9%) and fraud (up 19.1%)
11. Newcastle: Domestic violence related assault (up 1.7%) and steal from dwelling (up 3.0%)
12. Wollongong: Steal from motor vehicle (up 35.7%) and steal from dwelling (up 17.6%).

Dubbo LGA recorded five significant upward trends from the 17 major offences, while Bankstown, Ballina and Lake Macquarie LGAs recorded upward trends for four major offences.

Among the expanded list of 62 offences for the 24 months to March 2012, five showed an upward trend at the State level. They were:

According to the Director of the Bureau, Dr Don Weatherburn, while the upward trends in indecent assault, act of indecency and other sexual offences and theft are unwelcome news, the growth is likely to be transient.

"Indecent assault, act of indecency and other sexual offences are more prevalent during the summer months. I would expect the upward trend in this offence to attenuate over the coming months."

"The rise in stealing from a motor vehicle is a direct result of higher petrol prices. People are stealing number plates to avoid detection when they steal petrol. Once petrol prices start to decline, stealing from a motor vehicle will start going down."

Further enquiries: Dr Don Weatherburn