NSW Recorded Crime Statistics June 2016

Full report - NSW Recorded Crime Statistics quarterly update June 2016 (PDF, 925.1 KB)

Release date: 10.30am, Monday 5 September 2016

Statewide Trends

In the 24 months to June 2016, two of the 17 major offences showed a significant upward trend across NSW, nine were trending downward and the remaining six offences were stable. The offences trending upward were steal from retail store (up 6.3%) and fraud (up 1.7%).

The offences trending down were:

1. murder (down 32.1%);
2. robbery without a weapon (down 25.9%);
3. robbery with a firearm (down 41.7%);
4. robbery with a weapon not a firearm (down 22.2%);
5. break and enter dwelling (down 7.2%);
6. motor vehicle theft (down 12.6%);
7. steal from dwelling (down 6.6%);
8. steal from person (down 9.9%);
9. malicious damage to property (down 3.2%).

These changes mean that 12 major categories of crime in NSW are now at their lowest level in 20 years. The categories are:

• murder;
• robbery without a weapon;
• robbery with a firearm;
• robbery with a weapon not a firearm;
• break and enter dwelling;
• break and enter non-dwelling;
• motor vehicle theft;
• steal from motor vehicle;
• steal from retail store;
• steal from dwelling;
• steal from person;
• malicious damage to property.

Shootings are also at the lowest level in 20 years.

Regional Trends: Greater Sydney

Across Greater Sydney there were 15 significant increases in crime and 46 significant decreases. The offence showing the largest number of increases was steal from a retail store, which increased in the Eastern Suburbs (up 22.1%), the Inner West (up 14.8%), the Northern Beaches (up 20.0%), the Outer West and Blue Mountains (up 15.4%) and Sutherland (up 18.6%). There were also significant increases in fraud, which increased in four areas: the Central Coast (up 13.5%), the Northern Beaches (up 9.9%), the Outer South West (up 22.5%) and the Outer West and Blue Mountains (up 11.8%).

In addition there were significant increases in non-domestic assault in the Inner South West (up 7.9%) and Sutherland (up 23.1%), indecent assault on the Central Coast (up 23.0%) and steal from dwelling in the South West (up 25.0%).

Eight of the 15 Statistical Areas in the Greater Sydney experienced a fall in malicious damage to property offences.

Regional Trends: Outside Greater Sydney

In regional NSW, the overall pattern was much the same, with most areas showing stable or falling crime rates but some areas showing an increase in crime. These included Coffs Harbour-Grafton (break and enter dwelling up 28.6%; steal from retail store up 16.7%), the Mid North Coast (indecent assault up 27.2%), Newcastle and Lake Macquarie (robbery without a weapon up 30.9%) and the Riverina (domestic violence related assault up 21.9%; indecent assault up 19.8%).

Coffs Harbour-Grafton, Mid North Coast, New England and North West, Newcastle and Lake Macquarie, Richmond-Tweed and the Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven also experienced increases in fraud.

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