NSW has not seen a significant increase in major offences over the past two years for the first time in the post-pandemic era, the latest crime statistics reveal.
The latest crime figures from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) show that both Sydney and regional NSW have maintained a steady crime rate since September 2022.
The report covers 13 major offence categories, including murder, domestic violence-related assault, sexual assault, robbery, and theft from retail stores and vehicles.
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BOCSAR executive director Jackie Fitzgerald said while property crime has been on the decline, incidents of domestic and sexual assault, as well as motor vehicle theft, had been steadily rising prior to this period.
“Given that, it’s pleasing now to report that, as of September 2024, not a single major violent or property offence has significantly increased over the past two years,” she said.
However, the 10-year trend revealed by the report indicates notable increases in four major offence categories in NSW.
The most significant of these is sexual assault, which has seen an average annual increase of 8.2 per cent across all locations.
Other categories that have risen over the past decade include domestic violence-related assault (up 3 per cent per year on average), sexual touching, sexual acts, and other sexual offences (up 2.9 per cent per year), and shoplifting (up 2.8 per cent per year).
Conversely, some categories have seen a decline over the past 10 years, including robbery, break and enter, certain theft offences, and malicious damage to property.