State-wide trends
In the 24 months to March 2020, the number of recorded domestic assaults increased by 4.1 per cent, the number of sexual assaults rose by 7.9 per cent, and the number of incidents of robbery with a weapon not a firearm was up by 10.5 percent. One offence trended down over the last 24 months (steal from person; down 10.4%) and the remaining 13 categories of crime remained stable.
Greater Sydney Statistical Area
Several areas of Sydney have seen significant increases in reports of domestic assault. Significant increases were seen in:
- Sydney – Baulkham Hills and Hawkesbury (up 38.7%),
- Sydney – Sutherland (up 31.0%)
- Sydney – Inner West (up 14.9%)
- Sydney – Eastern Suburbs (up 12.1%)
- Sydney – Parramatta (up 8.0%)
- Sydney – Inner South West (up 4.4%)
Sexual assault increased in two of the 15 Sydney Statistical Areas:
- Sutherland (up 50.7%, up 38 incidents)
- Blacktown (up 16.6%, up 49 incidents)
Incidents of robbery with a weapon not a firearm also saw significant increases in Blacktown (up 34.2% or 26 incidents) and Outer South West (up 60.7% or 17 incidents). However, even with this increase the occurrence of this offence is still at a historic low.
Regional NSW
Regional NSW saw the following upward trends:
- Seven of the 13 statistical areas showed a significant increase in recorded rates of domestic assault, ranging from a 5.2% increase in the Far West and Orana to a 16.3% increase in the Riverina.
- Sexual assault increased significantly in the Hunter Valley (excluding Newcastle) (up 18.8%)
- Indecent assault increased in the Illawarra (up 20.6%)
- There have been some increases in theft offences in parts of regional NSW, notably in:
- Murray – break and enter dwelling up 21.9%; motor vehicle theft up 44.0%; and steal from motor vehicle up 33.5%;
- Riverina – steal from dwelling up 18.7%; steal from retail store up 29.1%; and steal from motor vehicle up 15.7%.
- Central West -break and enter dwelling up 9.3%; break and enter non-dwelling up 11.6%; motor vehicle theft up 8.0%; and steal from dwelling up 22.1%.
Commenting on the findings, Executive Director of BOCSAR, Jackie Fitzgerald, said that the recorded crime figures released today reflect trends in recorded crime pre-COVID 19. “We know that the social distancing measures which commenced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have had a significant impact on the NSW Criminal Justice System. The full extent of this impact will be analysed in a forthcoming BOCSAR publication.”
