Crime figures show assaults are down on northern beaches

“Drunken” assaults are down, according to the latest crime figures, with police saying it’s due to a good working relationship with licensees.

Supt Dave Darcy Pictured in Dee Why for story on breath-testing operation this weekend. Photo: Braden Fastier.

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CRIME  figures show assaults — many of which are alcohol driven — are down across the northern ­beaches.

Commander Dave Darcy said he was pleased to see figures from the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research showed non-domestic assaults had dropped 16 per cent from 713 in the 12 months leading up to September 2014 to 601 in the following 12 months.

“This is a ripper of a result,” he said, attributing the drop to increased pressure on licensees, co-operation with licensees and a campaign to make bus transport safer.

The number of domestic violence incidents have also decreased, again down 16 per cent from 419 to 352.

However, Mr Darcy said he would have preferred to see an increase, because many domestic assaults go unreported and he wanted victims to come forward.

He said police were making an effort to “hunt down” repeat domestic violence offenders, which he hoped would make a difference.

Roger Yeo, father of Rachelle, 31, who was murdered by her ex-partner in her Curl Curl unit in 2012, said the figures were positive but it was unacceptable there was nearly one incident of domestic violence reported every day.

“I am encouraged that there has been an improvement,” said Mr Yeo, 65. “But it’s still not good enough.”

There was a rise in the number of indecent and sexual assaults up from 112 to 147. Cases of fraud also rose from 1,009 to 1,311 and was believed to be caused by the introduction of pay-wave and insecure mailboxes.