NSW crime statistics show decrease in murder, robbery, theft amid lockdown

Murder is at a 30-year low across NSW but the latest crime stats have revealed a shocking increase in sexual assaults in one Sydney area. See the crime rates in your suburb.

Murder is at a 30-year low across NSW but the latest crime statistics have revealed a shocking increase in sexual assaults in one Sydney area.

The Ryde area, in Sydney’s northwest region, has experienced sexual assault offence spike by 75.6 per cent in the past two years, according to the Bureau of Statistics and Crime Research’s September quarterly report.

Despite the highest number of sexual assaults in 2021 being recorded in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie, where there were 449 offences, Ryde’s annual total of sexual assaults jumped from 45 in 2020 to 79 in 2021.

It was the only government area across all of NSW to see an increase in sexual assaults.

BOCSAR Executive Director Jackie Fitzgerald said the spike in recorded offences could be attributed to the movement of speaking up inspired by people like child sexual abuse survivor Grace Tame.

“We know there was an increase in sexual assault reports earlier in the year, a really sharp increase around March and April in sexual assault reports, around the time (Tame) began to gain traction … it really did drive up sexual assault volumes,” Ms Fitzgerald said.

“The public conversation where victims were coming forward, people could see themselves in those women and came forward with their own personal stories … there were 15 reports in March alone in Ryde.”

Crime rates have flatlined across NSW amid lockdown restrictions in the past two years. Picture: Trevor Veale

A NSW Police spokesman said Ryde police had seen a “rise in reported incidents” of sexual assault.

“The increase is consistent with long-term trends for the crime type and a reflection of increased reporting across the state,” the spokesman said.

“Numerous recent campaigns relating to reporting sexual violence, as well as the publicity surrounding the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, are believed to have helped increase awareness and instil confidence in victims to come forward.”

Other marked increases in crime included a 58.6 per cent rise in break and enter non-dwellings on the Mid North Coast, and stealing from motor vehicles rose 48.4 per cent and 29.5 per cent in the New England and Richmond-Tweed areas respectively.

But overall crime fell steeply across NSW amid two years of lockdowns and pandemic restrictions.

Murder dropped 25 per cent over two years to a 30-year low, with only 57 victims in the year to September 2021 compared to 126 in the same period in 1999.

Violent offences dropped to their lowest levels since 1997, and property offences have hit their lowest point on record.

Robbery dropped 13.6 per cent, home break and enters dropped 11 per cent and stealing offences slid 12.8 per cent in the past two years.

The largest drop was for dealing and trafficking ecstasy, which flatlined by more than 70 per cent.

Robbery, stealing and other major offence rates have all dropped. Picture: NCA NewsWire Christian Gilles

All other crimes, including domestic violence, sexual assault and other offences dropped or remained stable - but it is not expected to last.

“We‘re in a bit of a honeymoon period with crime, lockdowns have seen it basically dry up or drop away significantly, especially with things like theft- people just aren’t out and about,” Ms Fitzgerald said.

“It was a similar pattern in 2020 though that lockdown was shorter … but it will return to normal, to pre-pandemic levels before long. We can expect violent offences in particular to come back quickly.”

The category called other offences, which includes Covid-related offences, was the only category to experience a huge surge across NSW, growing by 228 per cent.

While intimidation, stalking and harassment remained stable, the number of people prosecuted in court for the offence grew by 14 per cent over 2020 and 2021.

Across NSW, the standard area with the highest amount of crime in 2021 was the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie region, with 16339 major offences during the 12 months up to September.

Second and third were the City and Inner South of Sydney, with 15352 major offences and Blacktown which recorded 14056.

The most common offence in 2021 across NSW was malicious damage to property, with 48,245 offences recorded.