NSW Records Lower Crime Rates

Published Wednesday, 20 April 2005

Significant falls in crime rates have been recorded in New South Wales, especially for property crimes, reflecting the national trend.

According to figures released yesterday by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, the recorded incidence of robbery, breaking and entering and theft all decreased by more than five per cent in the past two years.

Over the 24 months to December 2004, the recorded incidence of robbery without a weapon plummeted by 21.5 per cent, stealing from the person dropped by 23.9 per cent and shoplifting fell by 16.8 per cent, while motor vehicle theft fell five per cent.

Falling property crime rates were part of a nationwide trend from about 2001, the Director of the Bureau, Dr Don Weatherburn, noted.

He attributed the decrease to dropping heroin consumption, with increasing numbers of heroin users returning to methadone maintenance treatment. Other factors were rising average weekly earnings, greater use of imprisonment for burglary offenders by the NSW courts; and possibly a fall in long-term unemployment among young men.

Premier Bob Carr credited police for the figures.

"It's a consistent trendline and it reflects - as far as we're concerned - the record police numbers, the police out in high-visibility mode, the police hitting repeat offenders and the tougher laws that have put more criminals behind bars," he said.

In other major categories of crime, such as fraud, murder, assault, and robbery with a firearm, there was little movement in numbers.

Overall, the decline in recorded crime was concentrated in the urban centres of Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong.

20 April, 2005

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