Burglars and murderers most likely to strike at night
From the most dangerous hours for homicides, domestic violence and burglaries to the busiest night for cocaine arrests, these new figures provide a disturbing insight into crime times in NSW.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
SYDNEY’S cocaine cowboys are more likely to be busted on a Saturday night while hundreds of amphetamine and cannabis users are caught on a Friday evening, new time of crime figures reveal.
Burglars are more likely to target homes on a Friday afternoon and more cars are broken into on a Sunday evening, the weekly countdowns show.
The figures also show that the least crime is committed between 6am on a Monday and noon on a Thursday which criminologist and policing expert Dr Michael Kennedy said was not surprising because “most people are too busy at work”.
READ MORE
'Someone has to do it': Tired fireys put communities first
‘Perfect’ Sydney dad named as latest volcano victim
He said the figures, from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, influenced frontline police numbers.
“Party time is Saturday night,” Dr Kennedy said, which is why there are more cops on the ground.
“The arrests on Friday and Saturday nights (for drug use and possession) are more about policing. More people are searched.”
The figures give a snapshot of crime on the street by day of the week and time of the day.
They show that of the 109 homicides between July 2018 and June 2019, the most dangerous time was between midnight on a Friday and 6am on a Saturday with 11 recorded in those six hours.
“NSW has a relatively low homicide rate and the fact more occur at this time would indicate they were alcohol or drug related,” Dr Kennedy said.
Over 20 per cent of arrests for cocaine use and possession — 488 out of 2353 — are on a Saturday between 6pm and midnight and 2048 arrests for the use and possession of cannabis and amphetamines are made on a Friday evening out of 24.704 annually.
Domestic violence is more prevalent at the end of a weekend, between 6pm and midnight on a Sunday.
“Weekends are not that useful for couples with strained relationships, children, financial issues and mortgage stress,” Dr Kennedy said.