Concerning data indicates crime rates rising faster in regional NSW compared to Sydney

Violent incidents at schools in regional NSW have increased to their highest level in five years according to shocking new data from the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research.

• Minns’ six-point plan after shock domestic violence data

Violent incidents at schools in regional NSW have increased to their highest level in five years according to shocking new data from the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, with the report also showing huge increases in home invasions and car theft in the bush.

According to BOCSAR, assaults at bush schools which are reported to police have skyrocketed by 31 per cent.

The report into Crime in Regional and Rural NSW released today, also shows significant increases in motor vehicle theft, non-domestic assault, domestic violence and sexual assault across the region.

The new data comes after The Daily Telegraph special investigations into an epidemic of youth crime sweeping regional NSW, which has seen communities living in fear with kids as young as 10 driving violent home invasions and car jackings.

The report shows crime rates in regional towns have increased well beyond those in Sydney with violent offences such as assault 57 per cent worse in the bush than in the city in 2023. Break and enters of private homes were 127 per cent more frequent in the bush, while motor vehicle thefts were almost 100 per cent worse.

Non-domestic assaults in regional towns across the state grew by 14 per cent from 2019 to 2023 due a dramatic 40 per cent increase in assaults in residential homes.

BOCSAR chief executive Jackie Fitzgerald said the increase in assaults in residential homes seemed to be connected to youth crime, with many breaking into homes in order to steal car keys.

BOCSAR chief executive Jacki Fitzgerald.

“We found that an increase in vehicle theft is co-occurring with break and enter offences, which is consistent with thieves looking for car keys,” she said.

A Daily Telegraph investigation into youth crime in Dubbo revealed youth gangs were robbing homes in search of keys because modern cars are almost impossible to hot-wire. In some instances, victims were beaten or stabbed in their homes.

In the last year 22.1 per cent of break and enters across regional NSW occurred in tandem with thieves stealing cars. This is a 64 per cent increase from 2019 of the two crimes being committed together.

Motor vehicle thefts jumped by 20 per cent last year from 2019, which has been caused by an explosion of young offenders going for joy rides. Legal actions for underage offenders increased by 188 per cent in the regions.

Ms Fitzgerald said the data showed stolen vehicles in the bush were more likely to be recovered than those in Sydney.

“This leads us to believe these cars are being stolen for the purpose of joy-riding or transport,” she said.

“Whereas in the city we often see stolen cars used in other crimes or sold – they’re more unlikely to be recovered.”

Data shows car thefts have nearly doubled in regional NSW over the last five years.

Police believe social media is driving this trend as kids post videos of home invasions, vehicle thefts and high speed pursuits with police on TikTok. This has led to the NSW government proposing to create a new “post and boast” offence for people who upload videos of themselves committing these crimes.

Yet the new data shows social media trends are just the tip of the iceberg of youth violence, as reports of violent assaults in schools increased by almost 31 per cent from 2019.

Ms Fitzgerald said the data indicated schools were relying more on police to deal with violent youths in the classroom than in previous years.

“The increase in school incidents makes me suspect this is the way schools are increasingly responding to violence,” she said.

“The changes in offences within school premises is very worrying and requires urgent attention.”

Education Minister Prue Car said schools often work closely with NSW Police when a matter requires police assistance.

“There is no place for violence in schools. All students, staff and visitors have the right to feel safe,” she said.

“Since coming to government we have introduced a number of measures to address this issue and improve behaviour in our schools, including a ban on mobile phones and a new student behaviour policy.

“The new behaviour policy restores authority to principals to suspend students whose behaviour poses a risk to safe and productive classrooms.”

Despite a marked rise in youth crime, adult males were by far the biggest offenders of both property and violent crimes across the state.

Sexual assault also skyrocketed across the regions, up 47 per cent from 2019, while domestic violence incidents increased by 24 per cent. Of this increase 49 per cent was family violence, while there was a 37 per cent increase in intimate partner assaults.

Ms Fitzgerald said while it was difficult to correlate the rise in domestic violence with that of youth crime, many of young offenders would come from circumstances where they are exposed to family violence.

“Those kids would come from homes with significant disadvantage with many witnessing or experiencing significant family violence,” she said.

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