Summary
Aim
This paper describes trends in the recorded incidence of firearm offences between 1995 and 2005 in New South Wales (NSW).
Abstract
This paper describes trends in the recorded incidence of firearm offences between 1995 and 2005 in New South Wales (NSW). The data presented here are an update of the trends in firearm offences reported in Crime and Justice Bulletin Number 57, 'Firearms and violent crime in New South Wales', which covered the period 1995 to 2000. The current analysis shows that the use of firearms in robbery offences peaked in 1997 and has since been steadily falling. Shooting offences have also declined in recent years after a peak in 2001. The rate of shooting incidents per 100,000 population is higher in Sydney than in the rest of NSW, with Fairfield-Liverpool Statistical Subdivision recording particularly high rates. The age profile of alleged offenders involved in firearms incidents has changed since 2000, with markedly fewer offenders aged 15-19 identified in connection with firearm-related incidents in 2005.