Break-ins up by over 50 per cent across the Territory in the last year, police stats reveal

Break-ins have increased by over 50 per cent across the Territory.

BREAK-INs have risen by over 50 per cent across the NT, crime statistics released on Friday revealed.

The latest crime statistics from NT Police in the year up to March 31 have revealed a massive spike in residential and commercial break-ins between April 2021 and March 2022 compared to the same period in 2020-21.

House break-ins have climbed 43.74 per cent while commercial break-ins have increased by 59.25 per cent.

Katherine has experienced a particularly large spike of 111.7 per cent in commercial break-ins while Darwin experienced a 76.25 per cent increase and Palmerston saw a 65.18 per cent rise.

The spikes are no different in Alice Springs (71.54 per cent) but for Tennant Creek there has actually been a slight decrease in commercial break-ins of 11.76 per cent.

Darwin and Road Policing Commander Danny Bacon said offenders targeted businesses that had alcohol and cash onsite.

“The offending patterns are mainly either youth or people that are living the night Territory lifestyle,” he said.

“Darwin itself, we have 30 per cent of property crime across the Territory.

“The individual figures are still quite high but that’s coming down on a longitude term trend over the last 10 years.”

Cmdr Bacon said data collections of sexual assaults had been more positive compared to previous results.

“Sexual assaults are down both in Palmerston and in Darwin and that’s 42 victims less compared with previous time which is certainly our most standout figure,” he said.

Cmdr Bacon said assault statistics across Darwin and Palmerston were still high.

“Darwin domestic violence results are up 13 per cent,” he said.

“Eight months ago that was around 52 per cent, so that’s actually a reduction of 39 per cent in the nine month period of time.

“We’re still up on previous year’s but up from those significant highs that we had so I’m very pleased with that,” Cmdr Bacon said.

“(We) encourage people to report domestic violence and let them know that perpetrators will be holding them to account.”

Opposition Health spokesman Bill Yan criticised used the crime statistucs to criticise Labor policy.

“Violent crime remains at critically high rates,” Mr Yan said.

“In the last year across the Territory, 18,614 people were the victim of assault, domestic violence-related assault and alcohol-related assault.

“These figures are disgraceful and highlight sustained law and order, and alcohol policy failures under NT Labor, which has been in power for the last six years.”

Meanwhile, statistics on road related fatalities have increased with two fatalities having occurred this week in the Territory, Commander Bacon said.

“We are in the middle of road safety week,” he said.

“(We’ve had) one fatality within Palmerston quite recently and one in remote Central Australia.

“Last year we were sitting at 10 road deaths across the Territory,” Cmdr Bacon said.

“We’ve covered double that at 20 annually.

“It’s quite a tragic statistic and considering most of those deaths, if not all of them all could have been prevented.”