Latest figures show a rise in crime on the northern beaches
REVEALED: There has been a rise in some types of crime on Sydney’s northern beaches over the past year, while others have seen a decline. Sexual assaults are among the categories which have seen a spike — and the police commissioner has a theory why.
Manly
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THE numbers of domestic violence and sexual assault offences on the northern beaches have risen in the past year, latest official crime statistics show.
At the same time offences such as assault, robbery and fraud have dropped in the 12 months to March 2018.
In its quarterly NSW Recorded Crime Statistics update released this week, the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) also found that robbery, without the use of a firearm, jumped by 100pc, but only eight offences were recorded.
BOCSAR found that across the whole state, in the two years to March 2018, sexual assault figures jumped by 7.2 per cent and indecent assaults, acts of indecency and other sexual offences rose by 6.3pc.
On the northern beaches 100 sexual assaults were recorded in the 12 months to March this year — up from 93 on the previous year.
There were also 122 indecent assaults and acts of indecent on the peninsula.
BOCSAR reported that 381 incidents of domestic violence were investigated by police, an 18pc rise, and that car theft figures jumped by 14pc with 218 vehicles going missing in the year to March 2018.
NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said the upward trend in sexual assaults could be put down to police actively encouraging the community to report historic assaults.
“A large proportion of the reports also stemmed from referrals from the Royal Commission,” Commissioner Fuller said.
BOCSAR executive director, Don Weatherburn, said it was impossible to know whether the increase in sexual offences was due to increased offending, increased reporting or both.
“The increase in reports of sexual assault, however, is entirely due to an increase in reports by female victims,” Dr Weatherburn.
The number of common assaults on the northern beaches fell to 572, compared with 629 in the previous 12 months while 450 burglaries were reported, a dip of 2pc on 2017.
CRIME ON THE NORTHERN BEACHES:
Rise or fall from the year ending March 2017 to the year ending March 2018
Crimes going up:
Robbery with a weapon (not a firearm)
2017 — 4 (offences)
2018 — 8
Percentage rise — 100pc
Domestic violence
2017 — 323
2018 — 381
Percentage rise — 18pc
Motor vehicle theft
2017 — 191
2018 — 218
Percentage rise- 14pc
Indecent assault/act of indecency
2017 — 108
2018 — 122
Percentage rise — 13pc
Steal from motor vehicle
2017 — 820
2018 — 917
Percentage rise- 12pc
Sexual assault
2017 — 93
2018 — 100
Percentage rise — 7.5pc
Crimes coming down:
Steal from shop
2017 — 588 (offences)
2018 — 493
Percentage fall — 16pc
Assault
2017 — 629
2018 — 572
Percentage fall — 9pc
Robbery without a weapon
2017 — 26
2018 — 24
Percentage fall — 7.5pc
Malicious damage to property
2017 — 1178
2018 — 1106
Percentage fall — 6pc
Fraud
2017 — 1217
2018 — 1176
Percentage fall — 3pc
Break and enter dwelling
2017 — 459
2018 — 450
Percentage fall — 2pc
Steal from person
2017 — 91
2018 — 90
Percentage fall — 1pc
(Source: Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research)