NSW Police Commissioner, Michael Fuller APM has welcomed the 2019 victim of crime survey, released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) yesterday.
The figures highlight that the self-reporting victims of crime in two major crime categories has declined by more than 60% between 1993 and 2019:
- Motor vehicle theft – down 68% (or 26,422 victims) in NSW compared to a 48% decrease nationally.
- Break and enter – down 69% (or 75,881 victims) in NSW compared to a 55% decrease nationally.
Commissioner Mick Fuller said a focus on investigations into car rebirthing rings has been effective in dismantling vehicle theft syndicates.
“In ten-years to 2019, we saw motor vehicle theft in NSW decrease by 35% compared to a 6% increase nationally. This is outstanding when you consider past rates of motor vehicle theft in NSW and increases in our population in that time,” Commissioner Fuller said.
“We have expanded our forensic investigations for volume crime, particularly motor vehicle theft and break and enter offences. This has resulted in increased identification and prosecution of offenders.”
Between 2010 to 2019, victims of break and enter offences decreased in NSW by 42% in NSW, which is more than double the national trend of 20%.
“We have focussed our attentions on conducting proactive and intelligence-led patrols around residential and business premises to identify and target recidivist offenders and it is working,” he said.
NSW is now lower than Victoria and Queensland in the number of self-reporting victims of motor vehicle theft and break and enter offences, despite a coinciding increase in population and development.
Self-reporting by victims of sexual assault has increased in NSW from 63 to 136 victims per 100,000 persons between 1993-2019, which is attributed to a greater confidence by victims to come forward to report to police about violent and sexual assault crimes. This compares favourably with the national rate which increased from 69 to 106 victims per 100,000 persons.
“I am encouraged by this data, which is testament that our policing strategies are effective, with the most significant measure being better outcome for victims,” Commissioner Fuller said.
