Non-fatal shootings in NSW

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Release date: 17 April 2013, Wednesday

The trends in discharge firearm into premises, shoot with intent and unlawfully discharge firearm, individually and in total, have not shown statistically significant increases in the 2 years, 5 years, 10 years or 15 years up to December 2012.

Generally speaking the pattern has been one of surges in the frequency of such incidence followed by periods of relative quiescence.

In the 17 years from 1995 to 2012 the peak period for all recorded non-fatal shooting incidents other than discharge firearm into premises was around 2001.

The offence of discharging a firearm into premises had distinct peaks in 2000, 2001, 2008/09 and 2012.

In April 2012 and July 2012 NSW Police recorded the highest and equal second highest number of incidents of discharge firearm into premises ever recorded since January 1995.

Nearly half (44%) all non-fatal shooting incidents in NSW in 2012 occurred in Canterbury-Bankstown, Fairfield-Liverpool or Central Western Sydney. This is despite these locations housing only 15 percent of NSW residents.

More than a third of shoot with intent and discharge firearm into premises incidents in 2012 were recorded by police as either drug-related, gang-related or organised-crime related.

Almost one in four (23%) non-fatal shooting incidents resulted in police commencing legal proceedings against an offender.

More than 60 percent of NSW non-fatal shooting incidents in 2012 occurred between 6pm and 3am.

Further enquiries: Dr Don Weatherburn 9231-9190